Kane County Reporter

The Village of Montgomery Public Works Department will start its annual free curbside leaf collection program on Monday, October 27. The service will continue through Friday, November 21, and is available to all residents at no cost.

Residents have three options for disposing of leaves this fall. The main option is the Village Leaf Collection Program, which will operate during the weeks of October 27 and November 3, 10, and 17. Residents are asked to rake their leaves up to five feet from the curb but not into the street. Leaves should be in place by 7 a.m. on Monday of each collection week for pickup by the Public Works Leaf Collection Truck. Crews will make one pass through the Village each week, vacuuming up piles as they go. Leaves near obstructions or parked vehicles may be skipped.

Another option is bagged leaf pickup provided by LRS Recycling, the Village refuse hauler. From November 10 to November 21, residents can put out unlimited yard waste bags without stickers on their regular collection days at no extra charge. Outside these two weeks, stickers are required for all yard waste bags and bundled brush collected by LRS.

A third method suggested is mulching leaves with a lawnmower instead of raking them. Online resources recommend setting mowers to three inches and cutting leaves into small pieces until they reach about the size of a dime. Multiple passes may be needed for proper decomposition and fertilization of lawns.

The Village ordinance prohibits burning leaves at any time. Leaves that are not collected during scheduled pickups or left after the final week become the property owner's responsibility.

Village officials encourage residents to act quickly due to the short period between leaf fall and winter weather. Trucks and equipment must be transitioned from leaf collection to snow removal as winter approaches. Landfills and state-mandated dumping sites also close around December 1 each year, ending municipal leaf programs regardless of whether all leaves have fallen.

To learn more about the program, residents can visit montgomeryil.org/168/Leaf-Collection.