Yard Refuse Violations and Hazards-Dispose of your green waste properly

The City receives numerous complaints each year regarding yard material piles obstructing bike lanes, a situation that can be hazardous to cyclists. The City Public Works Department is actively enforcing yard material pile regulations.

City Code regulations state:

 * Yard material piles may be set out no more than 7 days before a scheduled pick-up day. 

* Yard material piles are not allowed in the downtown core area (the area is bounded by 5th Street, the south side of 1st Street, the west side of B Street, and the Union Pacific railroad tracks). 

* The Organics cart must be full before using the on-street yard material piles.

* Yard materials shall be placed or maintained in piles immediately adjacent to the property from which it originated and must not restrict reasonable use of the gutters, bike paths, or bike lanes. 

* Yard materials shall not be placed or maintained in such a way as to restrict reasonable access to a fire hydrant, driveway, public sidewalk, or any other public facility. 

* The following items may be placed in yard material piles: Pruning's from trees and brush (up to 8 inch in diameter), leaves, and/or Christmas trees.

* Yard materials may not be placed in the garbage.

* Yard materials left in the street cannot exceed five feet in width or five feet in height or five feet in length.

Be aware that yard material piles can create serious hazards for cyclists. Yard materials can cause a cyclist to crash by slipping or getting branches stuck in their wheel spokes, especially in the absence of street lighting. YARD MATERIALS SHOUILD NEVER BE PLACED IN BIKE LANES.

Do not park or drive over yard materials; these piles get strewn over bike lanes and roadways causing a variety of hazards.

Please place yard material piles on the street the day before pickup. This reduces the number of days the piles pose a hazard to bicyclists and also limits the amount of debris movement across the street during windy weather conditions.

 The current pick-up schedule and regulations are available on the Public Works Utilities and Operations page. 

Violating the yard refuse City Code can result in fines. If you have further questions about the ordinance, please contact Public Works at 530-757-5686.