St. Joseph County Indiana
Curbside Leaf Collection Program
WWW.SJCLP.COM
Leaf Program Hotline: 1-877-472-2735
or Email us
DECEMBER / 20 / 2013
With the inclement weather, snow, and freezing temperatures, St. Joseph County must temporarily suspend the County's Leaf Pick-Up Program as of December 21, 2013.
The County understands and acknowledges there are remaining areas, especially in Clay and Harris Townships, that have not received a "first pass". These areas are the County's highest priority to complete once conditions improve and the snow and ice are gone. The County and Greenworld crews will make every effort to complete the first pass in the remaining areas as soon as the weather permits, which may not be until spring.
Once Greenworld crews are able to complete the first pass, the County has directed Greenworld to take a second pass through the townships in the spring to collect any remaining leaves.
The County will monitor developing forecasts and provide the media program updates ahead of the anticipated changes in the weather and temperatures. Also, please visit the program's web-site at www.SJCLP.com for program updates.
The County appreciates the resident's participation in this program and asks for their patience and continued cooperation in keeping the leaves at the curbside, ready for pick-up as soon as conditions allow.
One of the County's top winter priorities is snow and ice prevention and removal to ensure its roadways are as safe as possible. County crews will continue to plow the roads with stockpiled leaves, please be aware, plowing efforts may push the leaves further back into the yards. The County recognizes the inconvenience and urges residents to remain patient until Greenworld is able to complete the program as soon as weather permits.
Program Policy Do’s & Don’ts
• All leaves must be at the curbside on the first Monday of the scheduled period for collection in that Township. Leaves not at curbside on the first Monday of the collection period for that Township will be “passed by” when the vac crews complete your service area.
• All leaves must be within 5’ of the curbside without going into the street. Leaves in the street clog drains & cause flooding. St. Joseph County may ticket violators..
• All leaves must be easily accessible and at least 15’ minimum from mailboxes and obstacles. Leaves closer than 25’ to a vehicle parked at the curb will be “passed by”.
• Branches, tree limbs, grass clippings, and trash mixed with leaves will cause the entire leaf pile to be “passed by” and the Vac crews will not return to that pile.
• GreenWorld & St. Joseph County are not responsible for grass/lawn areas that die due to leaf accumulation.
• Keep all leaves out of ditches and roadways to prevent clogging drains.
• Do not put leaves inside fences or bags of any type. They will not be picked up and we will not return.
• Do not leave brush and/or debris of any type other than leaves at curb area.
• Do not leave trash cans/bags within 15’ of leaf piles.
• Do not leave grass clippings or grass mixed with leaves that come from mowing collection systems at curbside.
• If Leaves are not easily accessible within 5’ of curb they will not be collected.
• If leaves are not at the curb on the first day of the scheduled township collection period they will not be picked up.
NO EXCEPTIONS
Leaves must be out to curbside on the first Monday for the scheduled township/s.
If they are not there when vacs go by on First Pass you can still
receive curbside collection on the second pass
Media Outlets for Schedule updates
1. WWW.SJCLP.COM
2. Elkhart Truth
3. MyGranger.com
4. St. Joseph County Commissioners Office
5. U93
6. Sunny 101.5
7. WNDU TV
8. WSBT TV
9. FOX 28
10. ABC 57
11. The Bear
Three Most Frequent Service Concerns
1. You missed my house!!! When will you be back?!?!?!?
Answer: All collection vehicles have GPS tracking units installed so that in the event any “missed calls” are called in, the Care Center check our tracking documentation to see if it was truly missed or vacs had already gone by and there were no leaves at the time.
GreenWorld confirms route completion Three different ways:
a. Crew Leader documents completion reports by subdivision as completed.
b. Route Leader physically drives and scouts neighborhood and confirms in completion report.
c. GPS Satellite Tracking provides curb line tracking report so that we can “see” and document
every curb line completed.
If not completed yet, let the resident know that the vac crews will be by in the future and haven’t “missed” them because they haven’t completed their service area yet.
If completed, then let resident know that the crews have been through that area and will not be returning this season unless only the first pass has been completed.
If second pass is coming, reference all schedule locations and let resident know when leaves must be to curb for second pass.
If second pass has been completed let the resident know that individual collections are available at an additional cost and/or the burn amnesty period will be released by the Commissioner’s office. If they do not wish or are not able to burn we can schedule a collection at an additional cost.
All collections scheduled at an additional cost must be scheduled on the website and require a credit or debit card in advance for pre-authorization.
2. I mulch my leaves with my mower which also picks up minor grass clippings. Will you pick up my leaves?
Answer: Mulched & mowed leaves at the curbside present special problems for the vac crews beyond just the issue of grass clippings. Mulching mowers compact the leaves and normally exit the mower collection device in what we call a “brick”. They are called “bricks” because due to the compaction and inherent density, these “bricks” will not vac up readily at the curbside without additional labor using special tools to break the “brick” into pieces that will readily flow through the vac without clogging. These “bricks” are sometimes “buried” in the curbside piles and the boom man inadvertently “hits” a “brick” and immediately can clog the machine causing as much as 3-4 man hours lost time, while the crew waits as the vac hose is unclogged. When the conditions turn cold and wet, the damage the “bricks” do to the efficiency of the crew is multiplied one hundred fold as the bricks frequently are very hard to break up into pieces that will vac up without clogging. Please do not include any grass clippings at the curbside with your leaves for collection. If you do you will be “passed by.”
3. Since GREENWORLD is picking up our leaves at curbside, will GREENWORLD also pick up the leaves from my lawn and beds on a periodic basis?
Answer: GREENWORLD will pick up your leaves in your lawn and bring them to the curbside for immediate collection. This service is at an additional charge to the residents and only after an agreement is accepted by the customer. Competitive hourly rates will be provided. If you would like an estimate for Fall cleanup, please contact Customer Service to Request a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. QUESTION: When will you be at my house?
ANSWER: We can help you find the best schedule look-up option and insure that you understand how to look up future updated schedules. We will follow the sequence of the schedule but cannot provide specific days until the program has developed some history based on current volumes per township.
2. QUESTION: Do you pick up brush & tree limbs?
ANSWER: Yes we can, but tree limbs & brush are not part of the Leaf Program provided by the County at No Charge to residents. A chipper truck can be scheduled to pick up your tree limbs & brush after an estimator has provided a quotation for pick up costs. The minimum charge for a chipper truck is $ 49.95 and this will be a nonrefundable charge to a credit card for the quote, which is credited to the work when it is performed.
3. QUESTION: When will you be by to pick up my leaves?
ANSWER: All your leaves must be out at curbside by the first Monday of the published schedule for your Township. A definite time cannot be provided due to the size of the task and what may happen with weather to help or hamper collection efforts but you can see from the schedule which townships are next.
4. QUESTION: I have a limited area at the curb with many leaves to rake out. How do I keep from raking continually to keep the leaves at the curb?
ANSWER: Some residents use tarps over their leaf piles to maintain the leaves at the curb. Tarps also help keep the leaves dryer and snow free if totally covered. Greenworld will remove the tarps but is not responsible for tarps left at curbside after they are removed from your curb piles.
5. QUESTION: Since GREENWORLD is picking up our leaves at curbside will GREENWORLD also pick up the leaves from my lawn and beds on a periodic basis?
ANSWER: GREENWORLD will pick up your leaves in your lawn and bring them to the curbside for immediate collection. This service is at an additional charge to the residents and only after an agreement is accepted by the customer. Competitive hourly rates will be provided. If you would like to Request a Quote please contact the Care Center.
6. QUESTION: What happens when it snows?
ANSWER: GreenWorld has Michiana’s largest fleet of snowplowing and snow removal vehicles. Over 400 drivers & operators will mobilize when it begins to snow in Michiana. The Leaf Program will halt while it is snowing, just like the County, to tend to snow & ice management issues and then return to the Leaf program as quickly as weather allows.
7. QUESTION: When date did the county program start when it was performed by the county?
ANSWER: For 14 years the county program always started in the third week of October and continued through December 20th , every year.
8. QUESTION: How many weeks did the county program last when it was operating?
ANSWER: For 14 years it was a full eight week/s program beginning in the third week of October.
9. QUESTION: When was Greenworld asked to begin service by St. Joe County?
ANSWER: Originally the service agreement delayed the start date at the Commissioners request by two weeks until November 4th but just before we were to start the Commissioners requested Greenworld delay the start date again at least one week more to begin on November 11th. The 11th is three weeks later than the program ever began in the past.
10. QUESTION: How do you suggest residents keep their leaves curbside to them from blowing away?
ANSWER: Some residents use tarps over their leaf piles to maintain the leaves at the curb. Tarps also help keep the leaves dryer and snow free if totally covered. Greenworld will remove the tarps to collect the leaves but Greenworld is not responsible for tarps left at curbside after they are removed from your curb piles.
HOA Services
1. Will GreenWorld provide additional passes to Home Owner Associations for an added cost and bill directly to the HOA?
Yes, GreenWorld offers a weekly pass program for HOA’s. GreenWorld has been providing Curbside Leaf Collection Programs for over Twenty Five Years. GreenWorld collects tens of thousands of cubic yards of leaves on an annual basis. Softwood trees like ornamentals begin dropping leaves by mid-October and hardwoods like Oak trees wait until December and even after first snowfalls.
Some of our competitors have mimicked municipal programs by offering one to two passes annually. A one to two pass program doesn’t make everyone Happy. But is it possible to make everybody happy? Greenworld satisfies everyone with our weekly collection program. The leaves fall from mid October to mid December. The only way to make everyone happy, whether they have ornamentals or oak trees, is to provide a weekly pass program.
GreenWorld provides service directly to the largest HOA’s in your area and decided long ago that a weekly collection program with a Spring pass was the only program we would offer. While the quantity of leaves are the same, It makes the homeowners happier if they do not accumulate at the curb for 2-3 weeks while blowing away on windy days and freezing in huge mounds at Thanksgiving because the HOA waits to the last minute to collect because they only have a two pass program.
Most counties provide 1-2 pass programs. GreenWorld recommends a weekly program for neighborhoods that like it clean every week. If your county provides two passes, GreenWorld would provide an additional four passes and recommend a Spring pass as well.
Keep in mind that this option is specifically only for Homeowners Associations in which everyone participates and the HOA collects the payments. We bill the HOA and will not bill individual homeowners. The President or an authorized member of the board of the HOA must contact Greenworld to receive a proposal.
Greenworld’s service deadline for putting a service relationship in place is July 1st for the coming fall. GreenWorld places the orders for new collection equipment to support new service relationships on this date. With schedules and HOA consensus timelines it is recommended that the process be started by contacting Greenworld by March 1st each Spring to provide adequate time for the required process.
If your HOA is interested in getting a proposal click HERE.
2. How do you calculate the cost for these additional weekly passes?
GreenWorld has historical collection volumes archived by HOA/Neighborhood & Subdivisions for over 15 years. GreenWorld has continued providing weekly collection programs for many HOA’s and has extrapolated growth formulas based on the increases in cubic yard volume over the last ten years for the HOA’s we service. Trees grow larger every year and their “leaf load” increases consequently every year as well. GreenWorld uses the historical average volume for your neighborhood plus the average growth in volume based on the neighborhoods we service every year. GreenWorld then prorates the collection costs according to the number of passes added.
GreenWorld will only bill active HOA’s or neighborhoods with organized central payment collection so that there is one bill and payment point of contact.
3. Will GreenWorld provide complete “Lawn to Curb” services for the residents of the HOA?
Yes, GreenWorld will provide Lawn to curb services, which includes bringing your leaves from the yard and beds to the curb timed with the curbside collection schedule for your neighborhood. This service is currently only available for Residents within an HOA, neighborhood and/or Sub-division that has a current service agreement for a weekly pass program.
Resident Services
1. Does GreenWorld provide weekly collection service to individual or groups of residents interested in higher levels of service?
Yes, with the condition that the residents be in an HOA that is receiving a weekly pass program. Greenworld does not currently provide residential service to stand alone residential sites. If you have a property over 1 acre in size that requires a complete annual service program you may qualify for our “Villa Management Program” which includes total service year round care for your entire property including all of the services listed that may be required in our Quote Now tab.
2. Can you recommend any company that would provide this type of service?
Yes, in 2014 our Partner Program will include prequalified service partners that provide service for GreenWorld on a commercial basis that are proven performers that are also interested in residential maintenance.
Burn Ban
The burn ban ordinance in St. Joseph County is stated as follows and available on the St. Joseph County Council website at this link:
http://www.stjosephcountyindiana.com/departments/sjccouncil/pdf/2013/ORDINANCE-LeafBurning.pdf
Simply stated, burning is not allowed at any time except for one week in the Spring & Fall. Leaf Burning is allowed for only one week in the Fall of 2013 and the Spring of 2014 when the St. Joseph County Commissioners announce that it may occur.
If you see someone burning leaves you should contact the St. Joseph County Sheriff at the Non-Emergency number at 574-235-9611 with the location that the burning is occurring. This number is available on a 24/7 basis. The Sheriff will send an Officer that will tell the resident to put out the fire. If the officer has to return a second time a ticket may be issued in compliance with the burn ban.
Curbside Collection Program Schedule
Curbside Collection begins on November 11th & Continues
until Two (2) passes are complete
Leaves must be to the curb on the start day for your Township or they will not be collected
for that pass if vac has already gone by
SCHEDULED SERVICE
ALL RESIDENTS IN GERMAN, CLAY, AND HARRIS WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE TWO PASSES AS LONG AS LEAVES ARE CURBSIDE ON THE START DAY FOR THE FIRST AND SECOND PASSES. PLEASE DO NOT REGISTER ONLINE IF YOU ARE IN GERMAN, CLAY, OR HARRIS TOWNSHIPS.
ONCALL REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION IS ONLY REQUIRED IF YOU ARE NOT IN A SUB DIVISION OR NEIGHBORHOOD SOUTH OR WEST OF THE ST. JOE VALLEY PARKWAY.
PLEASE REGISTER HERE FOR SCHEDULED ON CALL SERVICE IF YOU ARE NOT IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OR SUBDIVISION IN A TOWNSHIP HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.
THESE TOWNSHIPS ARE HIGHLIGHTED BELOW IN YELLOW.
Schedule will be updated Weekly
Inclement weather will delay schedule/Schedule will be updated at that time
1st Pass Townships will be completed sequentially in order listed above.
2nd Pass will start before the 1st Pass is completed.
***Completed Townships will be Grayed out and crossed out with a line***
Scheduled On Call Townships
Highlighted Townships are Scheduled On Call for all areas south and west of St. Joe Valley Parkway Scheduled On Call Townships require registering your address for Scheduled Collection
only if you are NOT in a subdivision.
Please register HERE for scheduled on call service if you are not in a neighborhood or subdivision in a township highlighted above.
If you are in a Scheduled On Call Township you must register for Pickup prior to your Pass Start Date
If you are in a subdivision in the on call area you will receive
two passes per the collection scheduled townships.
"Missed Policy"
*******Collection vehicles have GPS Tracking to document where they have been*******
Customer Service can compare tracking documentation to "Missed" Service Concerns
If the vac has already passed by your home it is not considered a "Miss" just if leaves were not at the curb.
Customer service will compare your address with collection documentation.
If missed, you will be scheduled to be picked up within (3) business days.
Please contact us Here if you believe you may have been missed.
Curbside Collection
Program Schedule
Program Schedule Completion Status
Program Policy
Do’s & Don’ts
Media Outlets Publishing or Broadcasting
Three Most Frequent
Service Concerns
Frequently Asked
Questions
HOA Services
Resident Services
Global Fleet Tracking
Burn Ban
Collection Program
Work Days
Press Release
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