GREENSBORO, N.C. — Editor’s note: The city of Greensboro says educating residents on new leaf collection rules has gone smoothly. The city added that no fines have been issued. The city also says it is not issuing fines for leaves that fall in the street.
The City of Greensboro is implementing new leaf collection rules for residents within city limits. Leaving leaves out on the street in front of your house could lead to fines.
First, the city will issue a warning, giving homeowners 14 days to pick up, bag, and prepare the leaves for collection. If the leaves are not addressed, the city will return two weeks later and issue a $75 fine. If the leaves are still present after another two weeks, the fine could rise to $500. Many homeowners believe the new policy is excessive.
"It's gonna result in a mess," said Steve Sagraves. "We've picked up a lot of leaves and we'll try to do more. And we don't own a tree in our yard—this is all neighbors' leaves. So it's pretty astounding that they made that decision."
Others are worried about being fined even after cleaning up, as new leaves can fall during the day. Residents of Old Irving Park, an area with many trees, find it challenging to keep the streets clear of leaves.
"And at any even day there could be leaves out in front of your house that fall out of your trees," Kevin Murray said. "When an inspector comes by to see if you've got leaves in the street in front of your house, I mean, what's the protocol there? Are you supposed to be out picking up leaves in front of the house every day?"
The city provided residents with gray bins to fill with leaves. If the bins are full, homeowners can also fill 15 biodegradable paper bags from November through February. Any other time of the year, it’s a 10-bag limit. The city will collect leaves weekly until February. Importantly, leaving leaves in your yard is permitted; the fines only apply if leaves end up in the street.
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