• A customer's organics cart must be full before using the on-street yard material piles.
• Yard material piles may not be set out more than 7 days before a scheduled pick-up day.
• Grass clippings, vines and weeds are not allowed in yard material piles.
• Place yard materials directly in front of the property it came from, not across the street or around the corner—this is illegal dumping and the pile will not be picked up!
• Place yard material must be loose (not in bags) and piles must be placed 18” from the curb or gutter.
• Yard material piles may not be larger than 5 feet in any direction.
• Do not block fire hydrants, driveways or stormdrain inlets with yard material piles.
• Be aware that yard material piles can create serious hazards for cyclists. Yard material piles may not be placed in any portion of a bike lane. \Yard material piles are not permitted on streets where they will be placed in the bike lane.
• Yard material piles are not allowed in all areas of Davis, including areas where piles placed in the street will be in the bike lane. Properties that are not permitted to place yard materials in the street do not pay for on-street yard material pile collection service (they receive a credit on their utility bill). Some of these areas where piles are not allowed include, but are not limited to:
  • Downtown Davis (the area bounded by 5th Street, the south side of 1st Street, the west side of B Street and the Union Pacific railroad tracks)
  • The Cannery development (the area bordered by East Covell Boulevard to the south, F Street to the west and is located west of Pole Line Road)
  • East 8th Street from B Street to J Street
  • 5th Street (both sides of the street) from A Street to L Street and from from Pole Line Drive to Alhambra Drive
  • B Street from East 8th Street to East 14th Street
  • Cantrill Drive (both sides of the street) between Fifth and Second Streets
  • The North side of Olive Drive from Richards Boulevard to the Pole Line overcrossing
  • Valdora Street (both sides of the street) from Cowell Boulevard to Evergreen Court
  • 503, 504, 507, 508 and 512 F Street
  • Loyola Drive (both sides of the street), from 3010 Loyola, to Alhambra Drive
  • Alhambra Drive (both sides of the street)
  • Danbury Street (both sides of the street)
• Collection starts at 6:00 a.m., so yard material piles must be placed on the street for pick-up no later than 6:00 a.m. to be sure they will not be missed.
• Piles are not collected on terrace streets as those are private and not public streets.
• Yard waste piles shall not be placed on street undulations, traffic-calming bulb-outs or near obstructions on the street that restrict the city or the city contract hauler's equipment from collecting yard waste piles. 
• Do not park on top of or within 3 feet of on-street yard material piles.
• Do not drive over yard material piles.
• Do not use a leaf blower to blow material into the street unless it is being immediately collected into a legally placed pile.
• Do not leave trash in yard material piles.

Yard material pile collection service is only intended for excess yard materials that do not fit into the organic waste carts. Even during seasonal on-street collection, the organics cart must be filled before any material is placed in the street for collection.

These items are accepted in on-street yard material piles:

• Prunings from trees and brush (up to 8 inches in diameter)
• Leaves
• Christmas trees
• Palm fronds

Do not place these items in yard material piles:

• Grass clippings, weeds and vines (place them in the organics cart instead)
• Sod and soil (only small amounts can go in the trash cart. Take the rest to the landfill for proper disposal)
• Fruit  (place them in the organics cart instead)
• Branches larger than 8 inches in diameter
• Pet waste (even if it's in a biodegradable bag, this goes in the trash)
• Flowerpots and florists' wire
• Stumps
• Fencing, bricks, rocks and concrete
• Dimensional lumber (small pieces without paint or stain can go in the organics cart)

Yard material piles may not be placed in any portion of a bike lane. This may mean that yard material piles cannot be 5 feet wide if they infringe into a bike lane. Yard material piles can cause cyclists to crash by slipping or getting branches stuck in their wheel spokes. Due to their low profile and non-uniform size, cyclists may not see the piles until they come upon them, especially at night.

Some streets are too narrow to accommodate vehicle traffic, parked vehicles, bike lanes and yard material piles. On these streets, yard material piles may not be placed for pick-up because they will be in the bike lane.  These streets include (but are not limited to):

• East 8th Street from B Street to J Street
• 5th Street (both sides of the street) from A Street to L Street and from from Pole Line Drive to Alhambra Drive
• B Street from East 8th Street to East 14th Street
• Cantrill Drive (both sides of the street) between Fifth and Second Streets
• The North side of Olive Drive from Richards Boulevard to the Pole Line overcrossing
• Valdora Street (both sides of the street) from Cowell Boulevard to Evergreen Court
• 503, 504, 507, 508 and 512 F Street
• Loyola Drive (both sides of the street), from 3010 Loyola, to Alhambra Drive
• Alhambra Drive (both sides of the street)
• Danbury Street (both sides of the street)
• Yard material piles are also not allowed in the downtown core area (the area bounded by 5th Street, the south side of 1st Street, the west side of B Street and the Union Pacific railroad tracks) or in the Cannery development (the area bordered by East Covell Boulevard to the south, F Street to the west and is located west of Pole Line Road).

Make yard material collection easy for you and safe for others:

Timing—Place yard material piles on the street the day before pickup. This reduces the number of days the piles pose a hazard to bicyclists and also limits the amount of debris movement across the street during windy weather conditions.

Limit The Size—Yard material piles can create serious hazards for cyclists and have caused cyclists to crash because they may not see piles in time to properly avoid them, especially at night. In addition, piles in the gutter may not only cause flooding, but also bring pollutants to nearby waterways. Place piles away from the curb or gutter to avoid making contact with stormwater, while being careful not to place them in any portion of the bike lane. This may mean that your yard material pile cannot be 5 feet wide if any part of it is in the bike lane or protrudes into the gutter.

Use the Organics Cart--Always fill the organics cart first before placing any material in a pile on the street. 

Composting—Composting returns nutrients back into the soil, cuts down on the need for pesticides and fertilizers and saves water. Learn more about composting. Receive a compost bin via the City’s Online Compost Class!

Streets are swept in Davis once per month. The downtown core area is swept once per week.

Street sweeping dates:

1. "Leaf" it onsite

  Instead of taking the time and energy to gather up your yard trimmings you can “leaf” them where they lie.

• Mulch mow: Mulching lawnmowers chop grass clippings so finely that they fall in-between the blades of grass in your lawn and quickly decompose, recycling nutrients into your yard. You can even mulch mow leaves that fall onto your lawn.

• Leaf mulch: Fallen leaves make an excellent and natural mulch for trees. When possible, leave your leaves where they fall and allow them to decompose, recycling nutrients back to the soil, creating a natural block for weeds, enriching the soil and preserving soil structure and moisture. Fallen leaves can be mulch mowed onto lawns as well.

• Yard Trimmings as mulch: Leaves, trimmings and lawn clippings make excellent mulch for bushes and small trees. Layer yard trimmings 4-6 inches thick under bushes and around the base of your trees.

2. Backyard composting

Start a backyard compost pile for your yard trimmings and create your own nutrient-rich compost! The City has many composting resources available, including booklets, web tutorials and an online class! Davis residents in single-family homes can take the online composting class and receive a backyard composting bin for only $10.

3. Use the cart

All customers in Davis have access to an organic waste cart that’s collected weekly along with trash and recycling. You’d be surprised how much can fit into one organics cart! Yard materials do not always nest well, so here are some tips on how to make the most out of the space in your organics cart.

• Chop it: Chop materials up into pieces 18” or shorter before placing them in your organics cart.

• Squish it: When your cart seems full, tamp it down with a shovel, broom or rake to free up space for more materials.

• Dry it: Yard materials can lose a lot of their mass as they dry, leaving more space in your organics cart. As materials dry, tamp them down again and stuff in more.

• Multiply it: Customers can get additional carts (fees apply). To request additional organics carts, homeowners can contact the City Finance Department (530-757-5651) and businesses can contact Recology Davis (530-756-4646).

4. Share the space

If you have a one-time excess amount of yard trimmings, you can ask your neighbor if you can place some of your extra trimmings in their organics cart.

5. Have it hauled

Ask a business to remove the yard trimmings materials for you.

• Contact Recology Davis (530-756-4646) for details and pricing on a large drop box for yard materials—they drop off the box for you, then haul it away after you’ve filled it with yard trimmings. You can also contact Recology for a quote on an off-schedule pile pick-up. The quote will be based on the volume, size and type of yard material.

• Customers can contact a landscaper, tree removal company or junk removal company for a quote to haul away excess yard materials during non-pile collection season (yard trimmings may not be stored on the street for collection via this option).

6. Feed the zoo

7. Rethink your landscape

Consider upgrading your landscape to include low maintenance plants that don’t require a lot of pruning, cutting and trimming—saving you time and reducing the amount of yard trimmings you have to manage.

The City has received feedback from customers on several solid waste services, including street sweeping and yard material pile collection schedules. Yard material pile collection service is a careful balance of the cost of the service, bicycle safety issues, the use of the program and the convenience to customers. Below is a list of public meetings where yard material collection service  options have been discussed.

• September 3, 2019 City Council Meeting
  • Item 4G Second Reading Yard Material Collection Ordinance
• August 13, 2019 City Council Meeting
  • Item 4C - Solid Waste Program-Yard Material Collection Change Implementation and Outreach Plan
•  February 5, 2019 City Council Meeting Agenda
• • Item 5 - Yard Material Pile Collection Options
• City Commission discussion of the potential modifications to yard material collection service
  • Bicycling, Transportation, and Street Safety Commission  - January 10, 2019
  • Utility Rate Advisory Commission - January 16, 2019
  • Tree Commission - January 17, 2019
  • Natural Resources Commission - January 28, 2019 

• January 7, 2019 Community Open House to discuss potential changes to yard material collection service

  On October 30, 2018, the Davis City Council directed staff to research specific yard material collection schedules in an effort to identify cost containment measures for the service, and to review potential ways to provide more efficient delivery of services. At a follow-up meeting on December 4, staff presented the alternative yard material collection schedules. City Council selected three options to be discussed at this public meeting and with City Commissions. The yard material collection schedules that were being considered included:

• 16 pick-ups per year - monthly pick-ups from February to September, then bi-weekly pick-ups from mid-October to mid-January.
  
• 15 pick-ups per year - Monthly pick-ups from February to September, with two extra weeks of pick-up in the fall and one week in the spring.
• 12 pick-ups per year - Monthly pick-ups year round.

For comparison, the collection schedule at the time (monthly pick-ups from January to mid-October, then weekly pick-ups from mid-October to mid-December) was also provided at the open house. For those who could not attend the open house, comments and feedback submitted via email by no later than January 21, 2019 were included in the summary provided to City Council.

• December 4, 2018 City Council meeting agenda
  • 06 Yard Material Pile Collection Options
  • 07 Solid Waste Rate Study and Prop 218
  • 07A Solid Waste A
    • 07A Loose In The Street Yard Material Collection Staff Presentation
  • 07B Solid Waste B
    • 07B Solid Waste Rates Staff Presentation
    • 07B Solid Waste Rates Consultant Presentation
• October 30, 2018 City Council meeting agenda

• October 4, 2018 Special Meeting of the Utility Rate Advisory Commission
  • Item 4A - Draft 5 Year Solid Waste Rate Recommendations
  • Item 4A - Attachment 2 - Question and Answer Handout
• September 24, 2018 Natural Resources Commission Meeting
  • Item 6C Attach 2 Alternative LITS Collection Options
  • Item 6C Overview of Draft Letter Report on 10 Year Financial Plan and ...
  • Solid Waste Rate Study Yard Material Pile Scenarios (003)
• September 19, 2018 Utility Rate Advisory Commission Meeting
  • Item 6C - Overview of Draft Letter Report on 10 Year Financial Plan and 5 Year Rate Study
  • Item 6C - Attach 1 - Financial Plan Rate Study Report Attachments
  • Item 6C - Attach 2 - Alternative LITS Collection Options
• August 15, 2018 Utility Rate Advisory Commission Meeting July 31, 2018 City Council Meeting
• July 18, 2018 Utility Rate Advisory Commission Meeting
  • Item 6C - Overview of Solid Waste Rate Study Model and Updates
• June 20, 2018 Utility Rate Advisory Commission Meeting:
  
  • Item 6A - Solid Waste Rate Study Yard Material Pile Scenarios
• Yard material collection survey April - May 2018 initial review
  
  • May 2018 Informational Memo to the Utility Rate Advisory Commission
• February 21, 2018 Utility Rate Advisory Committee Meeting
  • Item 6D - Yard Material Collection Service Survey Staff Report
  • Item 6D - Attachment 1 - LITS Ranking Survey - All Responses
  • Item 6D - Attachment 2 Solid Waste Survey Draft
• January 11, 2018 Utility Rate Advisory Committee Meeting
  • Item 5C - Timelines for Solid Waste Rates Study and the Organics Processing Facility Feasibility Analysis
  • Item 6C - Solid Waste Survey and Feedback - SR
  • Item 6C - Solid Waste Survey and Feedback - Att 1 Solid Waste Rate Study RFP
  • Item 6C - Solid Waste Survey and Feedback - Att 2 2018 Survey Draft
  • Item 6C - Solid Waste Survey and Feedback - Att 3 2015 Davis Together Engage Organics Survey
  • Item 6C - Solid Waste Survey and Feedback - Att 4 Comments
• December 14, 2017 Utility Rate Advisory Committee Meeting
  
  • Item 6A - Draft Solid Waste Service Options
  • Item 6A - Att 1 - Service Option Summary Review - Working Draft For URAC

Seasonal on-street yard material pile collection occurs in the fall and winter, when stormy weather is likely to occur. Storms can impact yard material collection in a number of ways: by increasing the amount of materials being placed in the yard piles, delaying and/or prolonging collection, or by wind and rain moving piles, leaves and debris around streets and sidewalks. While storms can't be avoided, there are a number of things that the community can do to ensure yard material pile collection runs smoothly from October to February.

Before a storm event

When it is anticipated that the City will have a storm event, the community can assist in preparing by placing as much of their yard debris as possible (including small branches and leaves) into organics carts. If excess materials will be set in piles on the street, place heavier materials (such as branches) on the top of lightweight materials in the on-street piles to help hold leaves and other materials down when the wind picks up.

Please make sure yard material piles are not placed directly in front of storm drains. Blocked storm drains can lead to localized flooding, and mixing rainwater with yard debris can introduce fertilizers and pesticides into the stormwater system. Yard material piles should also not be placed directly in the gutter where they can impede rainwater from flowing to the storm drains. Placing yard material piles in the gutter can also lead to pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers washing off yard materials and entering the storm drain, polluting local wetlands and waterways.

After a storm event

Significant amounts of material or larger than average sized material will accumulate for collection after a large storm. Key things to keep in mind when preparing for collection after a large storm event: 

• Always be sure to fill the organics carts first before placing piles on the street.
• If the storm occurs during leaf drop season (usually from October through November or December), a large number of leaves will likely be present on sidewalks and streets. When wet from rain, the weight of the leaves may causes delays in collection, as Recology's trucks will reach their vehicle weight limits before filled to capacity. This can necessitate extra trips to the composting facility, extending the time it takes to collect yard material piles. Recology will provide updates on the status of collection through the week via their social media account if collection is delayed. Recology may work ahead of the normally scheduled collection to ensure they collect the yard materials by the end of the collection week, but even if they work ahead, collection will occur as scheduled in all areas of town. 
• Large branches, if present, must be cut up to fit within the size limits of on-street yard material piles (no more than 5 feet in any direction). Branches or tree trunks that are larger than 8" in diameter are not allowed in yard material piles or organics carts. Oversized branches or tree trunks can be brought to the landfill or (if they will fit) placed in the trash cart.
• If rain is in the forecast during a yard material pile collection season, make sure the piles are not placed directly in the gutter to ensure the rainwater is not blocked from entering the storm drain. Blocking storm drains can lead to unintended material washing down the storm drain and localized flooding. Placing yard material piles in the gutter can also lead to pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers washing off yard materials and entering the storm drain, polluting local wetlands and waterways.

Weekly cart collection

As a reminder, yard materials can be placed in organics carts and collected weekly, there's no need to wait for on-street yard material pile collection for smaller materials. Smaller piles placed in the street, especially piles of leaves, can slow down pile collection and cause delays. If you have leaves that won't fit, consider leaving them on your landscape as mulch.