City extends leaf collection by week

A stroll through Tosa neighborhoods or a drive along the city's streets shows Mother Nature may be trying to hold onto autumn as long as possible. Most trees still have some leaves on their branches.

That fact hasn't been lost on Wauwatosa Public Works Director Bill Porter, who today announced leaf collection will be extended to accommodate the stragglers.

City crews completed two of the three pickup cycles Wednesday. Typically 4,000 tons of leaves are collected, but city workers have only collected 45 percent of that amount, he said. He attributes that to warm weather that lasted late into fall.

"Normally the collection rate is closer to 60 percent at this time of the season," he said. "While oak trees traditionally hang onto their leaves late into the fall months, this year the maple trees have been very slow to drop their leaves as well."

Initially, he planned to end leaf collection Nov. 13, but the start of the final run though the city has been delayed until Nov. 21. The hope is to get all leaves off the streets before the first snowfall cover so crews may be working the day after Thanksgiving. Have all leaves raked into the street by the end of the day Nov. 20 to ensure they get removed, Porter said.