Where and how to place your solid waste containers during the winter to ensure the containers can be emptied 

Treat your solid waste containers as a mailbox!  What happens If you do not dig out your mailbox after a snowstorm? The Post Office does not deliver mail!  

For solid waste collection if you put your solid waste containers behind snowbanks, they cannot be emptied. 

For rural area residences and businesses without sidewalks -

Place your containers in your driveway near the edge of the road, or dig out an area in the snowbank to     create an opening in which to place your containers. Make sure the opening is 2 feet wider on each side than the containers.  The depth of the opening only has to be deep enough to provide 1 foot of clearance from the back of the container. 

For residents and businesses in areas of the City with sidewalks -

Place your containers in your driveway near the edge of the road.   

If you do not have a driveway or the driveway is too small and:

Where the sidewalk is against the curb at the edge of the road, dig an opening through the snow bank out to the street in which to place your containers.  Make sure the opening is 2 feet wider on each side than the containers.  

 If there is a grass or gravel area between the sidewalk and the edge of the road:

Place the containers in your driveway near the edge of the road, or dig out an area in the snowbank to place your containers. 

 Make sure the opening is 2 feet wider on each side than the containers.  The depth of the opening only has to be deep enough to provide 1 foot of clearance from the back of the container.

 Please do not place your containers out for collection before 7 pm the night before your scheduled collection day, and bring them back to the residence or business at the end of the collection day. Do not leave your containers on the sidewalk so that pedestrians can use the sidewalk. If collection is canceled due to a major snowstorm, please bring the containers back onto your property so that the City’s plow crews can keep the streets and sidewalks open for your use.

 Will the contractor collect containers during a snowstorm? The contractor will provide curbside solid waste collection service during a minor to moderate snowstorm.

 The contractor and Public Works consider canceling collection services when forecasters are predicting    blizzard or near blizzard conditions. If the contractor decides to cancel collection due to the forecast, the City will post the cancelation notice on the City’s website in the banner section on the top of the City’s home page.  For those residents who have signed up to receive City alerts, you will receive an e-mail informing you that solid waste will not be collected and the collection schedule for the remainder of the week. If you are not yet signed up to receive alerts and wish to do so, please sign up here.

 Solid waste collection and snow plowing –

Public Works leaders and crews will adjust their plowing procedures during minor to moderate storms to minimize the impact of plowing on scheduled curbside collection.  

Please help the City by following the recommendations in this notice. Call Public Works at 603-528-6379 with questions or for more details.