City ordinance: Raking leaves too early or too late could cost you

WAUSAU — Part of the beauty of living in Wausau is its multitude of trees, and the glorious fall colors we enjoy every year.

But raking the leaves? That’s another matter. Talk about a pain, right?

As a service to residents, city officials will haul your leaves away on a scheduled day every year. All you have to do to avoid a trip to the yard waste site is rake them into the street. Leaf collection is set to begin Monday, Oct. 30 and will continue until Nov. 14. The full schedule is embedded below.

But raking them into the street long before — or even after — the pickup date could be costly. According to Tara Alfonoso, assistant city attorney, fines for raking leaves into the street range from $73.60 10 to $1,321, if you do it at the wrong time.

The city ordinance reads as follows:

No person shall rake, deposit, throw, place or leave any Residential Solid Waste, Solid Waste or Yard Waste upon any highway, street, court, lane, alley or other public way, park, vacant lot, yard, body of water or any other place except in an appropriate Cart in the case of Residential Units or other appropriate Solid Waste or Recyclables container in the case of Nonresidential Buildings or Property, or at the city’s designated Yard Waste site herein required for those purposes.

So, why is this a big deal? Piling leaves in the gutter wreaks havoc on the city’s storm sewer system and can result in debris being discharged into the Wisconsin River, according to a news release issued this week by Mayor Rob Mielke and Director of Public Works Eric Lindman.

That’s why city officials ask that you wait until the weekend before your pickup date before raking leaves into the street.

The city’s yard waste site also has extended hours throughout the fall season, which can be accessed here.
Leaf Schedule 2017