Sullivan's Gulch Neighborhood Association

Don't be a Leaf Ninny

Oct 20, 1999

by George Allen One of these days soon you are going to receive a notice from the City about the leaf pick-up program that applies to this area. The notice will contain the date the City will clean our neighborhood streets of their leaves. This doesn't apply to all of the City of Portland, and is a controversial program for that reason ﷓ there is usually at least one letter to the editor and an article in the Oregonian about it annually. Since I've moved into this neighborhood two years ago, I have received more misinformation about this activity than accuracy, so I did a little research and came up with the following information. The City picks up our leaves because we're an old neighborhood and they've done it forever, and mainly because we have large old trees that are densely planted and the leaves create a problem on the public streets. We are not the only neighborhood where leaves are picked up, but one of the few still receiving this service (Irvington and some of the West side are Included), so don't brag to your friends who don't live in the neighborhood about this benefit. The City is not really budgeted for this activity - it's done by City workers on weekends on a voluntary overtime basis with surplus funds.

The City is not coming to pick up the leaves from your yard, BUT if they happen to be out in the street on pickup day, nobody is going to get down there and analyze the situation either. The thing here is to be sensible by getting those leaves (and ONLY leaves - not even one piece of garbage) out the day before they come to get them. Secondly, do what you can to get the cars off the street in front of your house on leaf day.