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Waukesha Leaf Collection Tracker app
Waukesha has a new method for collecting leaves.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha has a new method for collecting leaves. But not everyone is falling hard for it.
Steve Behnke is fighting a losing battle.
"It’s like herding cats! You can’t get it to go where you want it to go and you make a pile in one place and of course it all blows away," Behnke said.
On a windy Wednesday, Oct. 30, Behnke tried to clear his yard of leaves before the city comes to haul them away.
"We’re right in this pink area – just north of Summit, that says ‘in progress,’" Behnke said.
Waukesha rolled out a new leaf collection system this week. Behnke is not blown away by it.
"You don’t have specific dates anymore like you used to," Behnke said.
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The city used to give homeowners three specific days for leaf pickup. it was broken down by aldermanic district. That changed as of Monday, Oct. 28. Now, crews will be working continuously counterclockwise through the city.
"The sooner you can get your leaves to the curb – the sooner we can pick them up," said Street Supervisor Joe Baginski.
FOX6 News joined Baginski on the first day of collections on the northeast part of Waukesha. He said homeowners will have to follow the city's Leaf Collection Tracker to know when crews will be in their neighborhood.
"If they don’t have the internet, how do they know?" asked FOX6's Bret Lemoine.
"They can remember the two dates. October 28th and November 18th," Baginski said.
RELATED LINK: Learn how to use Waukesha's Leaf Collection Tracker app
On Nov. 18, Baginski said his workers will start to cycle through the city a second time. He said when crews got ahead of schedule under the old method, they would have to backtrack.
Milwaukee leaf, brush collection begins Oct. 1, 2024
The City of Milwaukee announced on Tuesday, Sept. 24 its dates for leaf and brush collection for fall 2024.
Behnke wishes he could have a narrower window for pickup. But he is happy to get rid of all the leaves – one way or another.
"I run out of space along the street side," Behnke said.
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Baginski said the city collects about 6,000 tons of fallen leaves every year. They are collected and turned into compost – and given back to homeowners for free.