A Milwaukee woman says piles of leaves left on her block for weeks have become dangerous after this weekend's storm, creating slippery and uneven paths for neighbors.
Yvonne Bonds, who lives in the Rufus King neighborhood, reached out to TMJ4 after feeling ignored by city services. The stacks of leaves have been sitting on her street since early November, and after the recent snowfall, they're causing real hazards for residents.
"I've lived here since 1965, and we've never had a problem getting our leaves picked up," Bonds said.
Bonds says she's called the Department of Public Works and city leaders to report the leaves, worried about children and elderly residents forced to step over the slippery leaves and fresh snow.
Watch: Milwaukee neighbors frustrated as uncollected leaves create hazardous conditions after storm
"Every time I tried to call them, the phone would just ring and ring and ring and ring," Bonds said.
Her neighbor, Shirley Nation, has also made calls with no clear answers.
"Usually, they come out and get the leaves, but this year, they didn't even start," Nation said.
Nation found herself shoveling leaves instead of snow from in front of her house.
"I have to now remove the leaves and the snow from in front of my house, I'm kinda frustrated," Nation said.
I sent a letter on the neighbors' behalf to DPW on November 21, asking for clarity and whether crews could be dispatched. DPW responded that the complaint was sent to sanitation management, but when I returned to the area a week later, I found pile after pile of untouched leaves.
"We shouldn't have to fight for services," Bonds said.
DPW's Ernest Stubbs says the department hasn't forgotten about leaves. Leaf street drop deadline ended November 30, and an early snowstorm has created some delays, but crews are still working hard.
“We’re going to hit every neighborhood. I can’t promise an exact day, but no one has been forgotten. We will get to the Rufus King area.” Stubbs said.
"Even after that deadline, it takes 2-3 weeks to get all the streets in Milwaukee and get all of those leaves up," Stubbs said.
DPW is now aware of the leaf piles and says crews will be rotating through this northside neighborhood soon. Residents can also track leaf pickup updates on the city's website.
“If cars are parked in the way, we can’t get to those piles. Safety is our number one concern, especially for motorcycles and drivers. If a pile is blocked, we have to skip it and come back.” Stubbs explained
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