Using the unique powers of their two vacuum trucks, the Covington Public Works Department will soon rid the city street of foliage debris.
Covington’s annual citywide leaf pickup is set to begin on Monday, Oct. 24. The formal collection schedule runs through Dec. 20, but Covington will do spot pick-up until Dec. 31.
Streets and sidewalks will be the primary target of Public Works employees with the aforementioned vacuum trucks and leaf blowers being their primary instruments of engagement. They will follow a formal schedule targeting Covington neighborhoods with a high concentration of trees in the public right of way.
The city is requiring residents to move their cars so Public Works employees can proceed with the leaf removal uninfringed.
Residents can click here to view the schedule and will be given two dates: one for leaf removal on the north or east sides of the street, and one for the south and west sides depending on how the street is oriented.
Troy McCain, supervisor of Public Works’ Maintenance Division, said the cold weather will make the leaf collection more efficient, keeping crews from having to return to streets later in the year.
“Hopefully they’ll continue to fall. Some years we get lucky, some years they fight us and hold on and hold on,” McCain said. “We would love to get them all the first time.”
Residents are permitted to rake or blow their leaves up to the curb, but not onto the street a day ahead of the Public Works crew’s arrival. Leaf piles should be placed away from obstructions such as parked vehicles, fire hydrants, mailboxes, water meters, and landscaping. The piles should contain only loose leaves and no other yard waste. City crews will do the work of piling up the leaves from the sidewalks.
“We really encourage residents to mark this on their calendars and follow this timeline,” McCain said. “We have a lot of leaves on a lot of streets and limited resources, and we want to get our neighborhoods looking pretty by the Christmas holidays.”
Crews will work one side of the street at a time so residents will be able to park on the opposite side and avoid getting a ticket. Covington is warning residents to be on the lookout for “No Parking” signs put up 24 hours in advance, as well as sandwich-board signs in highly visible areas.
McCain said leaf collection both keeps the city clean and is an important part of routine maintenance that helps with stormwater drainage by keeping gutters and storm sewers from clogging with debris.
“We have to take care of our infrastructure for it to work,” McCain said.
Residents can call (859) 292-2292 toward the end of the season to report if there are areas that were missed.
