CENTRALIA — Republic Services will start the leaf vacuuming service for Centralia residents starting Monday, October 21. The service will last for 8 weeks and end on December 13.

Leaves must be ready for vacuum by 6 a.m. on your scheduled day. Leaf collection will go from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can call City Hall 533-7622 or the Public Works Department at 533-7640.

Residents are asked to follow a few simple rules to make the process as smooth as possible. They include:

*Rake your leaves to within four (4) feet of the curb but DO NOT place leaves on the street or in the gutter as they will clog the storm drains. This is typically the area between the sidewalk and the curb.

*DO NOT place leaves behind or near obstacles such as mailboxes, trees, hedges, fences, etc. If there are any obstacles preventing your leaves from being picked up, they WILL NOT be picked up.

*Avoid parking vehicles in front of piles of leaves on the day that they are to be collected. The vacuum trucks require a MINIMUM of forty five (45) feet of curb access to safely operate. If a vehicle blocks access to the leaves, they WILL NOT be picked up.

*DO NOT mix trash, yard waste such as limbs, weeds, grass or any other material with the leaves.

Yard waste mixed with leaves causes safety concerns and equipment malfunction.

These items should be placed in approved paper bags for weekly collection or bundled properly.