FAIRMONT– Recent wind and rain have knocked many of the vibrant autumn leaves from area trees and they’ve collected on the ground. Luckily, the City of Fairmont’s annual leaf pick-up begins next week so residents have through the weekend to get their yards raked and ready for the pick-up.

Nick Lardy, superintendent of streets and parks, said that they’ll start on Monday, Nov. 1 with section 3, which includes properties south of Lair Road/Cardinal Street.

Next up, beginning the week of Nov. 8, is section 1, which includes properties north of Blue Earth Avenue/Lake Avenue.

Section 2, which includes properties south of Blue Earth Avenue/Lake Avenue and north of Lair Roar/Cardinal Street will be done beginning the week of Nov. 15.

“We make one pass through each section,” Lardy said.

He said if residents miss it, they’ll have to take the leaves out to the compost area. Residents in each section should plan to have their unbagged leaves, piled up no more than five feet behind the curb, ready by 7 a.m.

Lardy stressed that it’s for leaves only.

“People try to sneak sticks in there or we’ve had landscape rocks but we have to leave them. There’s a high speed fan on the vacuum trailer sucks up the leaves and any other debris can damage the fan. It’s made for leaves only,” Lardy explained.

The leaf pick-up is offered as a free service for anyone who is on the PUC bills. Lardy said as far as he knows, the city has been putting on the leaf pick-up since 2008.

He said it was started as an alternative when there was some controversy around burning leaves.

All of the street and park departments, which includes about 20 employees, will play a hand in the pick-up. Lardy said it’s pretty labor intensive.

As for the timing, he said, “We try to keep it as late as possible so most of the leaves have fallen, but also want to do it before the snow falls. Usually the first three weeks before Thanksgiving has been working out the best.”

The schedule of the leaf pickup can also be found on the city website at fairmont.org.