Guidelines for Brush, Bagged Leaves, & Grass Clippings Collection
Brush Collection shall occur the first full week, beginning Sunday (or work week when a holiday falls in the first week) of the month, April through November. Brush pick-up can happen any day during these weeks, there is no specific day your brush will be picked up.
The City of Portage shall provide regularly schedule brush collections each year. These collections are intended to provide residents with a means for disposing of tree, shrub, and/or brush trimmings, not as a means for disposing of entire trees.
Residents that have material for collection shall have it placed on the street, not the alley, the Sunday evening of the aforementioned months.
During the week of a scheduled brush collection, the City will also collect bagged leaves and grass clippings. During the fall the City may have extra leaf pick ups during the week depending on demand.
Material placed at the street for collection shall be easily accessible and shall not be hindered in any way by any obstruction(s) such as a mailbox, parked car, tree, utility pole/pedestal, guy wire or fire hydrant.
Material shall be placed at the street for collection and shall be bagged, boxed or securely bundled. Each bag, box or securely tied bundle shall contain material that is less than 60” in length, less than 5” in diameter, and less than 50 pounds in weight, as applicable. Any material placed for collection that does not comply with these criteria will not be collected.
Property owners that have material exceeding the above requirements should make appropriate arrangements for its collection and disposal. A property owner may request this service from the City of Portage; however, the cost of the collection and disposal of this material will be billed to the property owner, accordingly.
Property owners may request the removal of any tree(s) located within the public right-of-way. The City Forester shall evaluate and make a recommendation as to the health and life expectancy of said tree(s). Trees within the public right-of-way that are determined to be unhealthy and/or near term shall be removed by the City of Portage, at no cost to the property owner. Replacement trees may be obtained from the City Forester or purchased separately by the property owner. (If purchased separately, the property owner may be eligible for a 50% reimbursement of the cost, from the City Forester, up to a maximum of $50.00.) In either case, the City Forester must approve the species of the tree as well as its placement in the public right-of-way.
Property owners may remove any tree located on private property without consulting the City Forester. The entire cost of its removal as well as its disposal shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
The City of Portage now has one location to enable the property owner to remove leaves and grass clippings without curb pick-up. The location is the northwest corner of Airport Drive. Do NOT leave any plastic bags at this site when removing your leaves and grass clippings.
This drop off site is not to be used by commercial contractors.
The only exception to the preceding will be for any tree or brush that is damaged by a storm. The City of Portage will provide the collection and disposal of any storm damage at no cost to the property owner so long as it is properly placed at the street for collection.
