MOLINE -- The scarf over his face blocked the leaf dust from Rich Launius' mouth and nose. The particles flew into the air as he held the hose that was sucking a pile of leaves into a covered truck Monday.
Mr. Launius is one of two dozen city workers on leaf-vacuum duty, making repeated passes through the city until Dec. 1. So far, the crews have made one pass of the city -- they began vacuuming leaves Oct. 15 -- and are in the midst of a second pass.
"We are going as fast as we can with the resources we have. Without more people, more vehicles and more vacuums, we can't go any faster. We've maximized out our resources," said public works director Mike Waldron.
So far, crews haven't noticed a big increase in the number of people using the service even though the city banned burning as of Sept. 18. Rich Westmoreland, Moline's operations manager, said, though, he expects an increase over the next couple of weeks, the prime time for disposing of leaves.
The city has six leaf vacuums out now, with four workers on each crew. City workers are supplemented with 16 seasonal workers to get the job done and they are working 10-hour days Monday through Friday.
Moline, which began leaf-vacuuming in 1996, is the only city in the Quad-Cities to offer the service.
It's expensive -- the cost this year is expected to be about $245,000.
Bu many residents appreciate it, as shown by those who come out of their homes to thank the crews working on the piles.
Mr. Westmoreland said that crews should have made three passes through the city by the end of the season. However, heavy frost and snow slow the work, snow especially, because the same trucks used for leaf vacuuming are also used to plow.
Lonnie Eklof, a motor equipment operator for Moline, has been a member of a leaf vacuum crew for 10 years. He said the worst thing about the collection is the weather. "When it rains, you've got to deal with the rain. When it snows, you have to deal with the snow and cold."
City staffers stress that the vacuum service is only one method of leaf disposal. Through Dec. 15, the city is offering free bagged yard-waste collection. The normal $2 sticker fee is waived if leaves are placed in large paper yard waste bags set at the curb on normal garbage collection day.
Moline's leaf-vacuuming service will run through Dec. 1, weather permitting. Residents can rake leaves to the boulevard -- the space between the sidewalk and the curb -- for vacuuming.Crews will begin working at the location they ended the previous day. Residents may call (309) 797-0425 to hear a pre-recorded message on the location of the vacuum crews daily or go to www.moline.il.us for a map showing the location.
Residents also may consider mulching or composting leaves as a "green" method of leaf disposal. Mulching using the proper mower incorporates grass and leaf waste back into the lawn, while composting using a modern bin can make usable planting materials for garden or flower beds.
Moline residents can view a short educational video on leaf disposal options on Mediacom Channel 18. The video will air daily at: 6 a.m., 9 a.m., Noon, 3 p.m., 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
|
