News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville Public Works Department has released safety guidelines for people to follow as the department has begun loose leaf collection this fall.
The guidelines advise residents to make leaf piles as close to the curb as possible. The guidelines also state to not place leaves in the streets, throw foreign objects in piles, and avoid placing piles away from poles, mailboxes, and powerlines. Public Works Director Mary-Beth Elrod said not following the guidelines could lead to the leaf collection equipment being damaged.
“Our leaf collection equipment doesn’t look very expensive but it is very expensive,” Elrod said. “We have three to four leaf trucks. We want to make sure we keep those operational because it takes all of them to keep the leaves collected in the City of Cookeville.”
Elrod said when finished with making the leaf pile, there’s no reason to call. The city will be making trips to all parts of the city on a rotational basis every three to four weeks. Elrod said if residents can follow the guidelines it would make leaf collection faster and smoother.
“If all of the leaves are properly placed against the curb and outside of the street the truck can access quickly without blocking traffic,” Elrod said.
Elrod said just a few weeks into loose leaf collection season her department has already received several calls about people not following the guidelines. Elrod said the most common problem is leaf piles being in the street.
“We’ve had calls weekly about safety concerns with leaves in the street,” Elrod. said. “We’ve had a few near misses with some people having to dodge leaf piles and almost getting hit head-on. Currently, we have not had any complaints about our equipment being damaged.”
Elrod said the Public Works Department will be collecting leaves till March 15th. For more information about leaf collection guidelines call the Cookeville Public Works Department at (931) 520-5249.
