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Leaf Collection is Postponed for both St Joe County and the City of South Bend due to weather. Vac Crews are not working today due to Snow & Ice on Roads and in leaf piles and Freezing Temperatures - SNOW PLAN IN EFFECT - See Schedule Page & Status Map for ALL SNOW Delays & Status Updates - Call Center is NOT active when Crews are not working and will reopen when Vacs begin collection again - Call Center has no further updates than the Schedule page online here Contact us by email 24/7 at CS@StJoeCountyRecycling.com
Weather Comparison
2024 vs 2025 to date
1" Snowfall 36"
6 Freezing Days 16
5 Heavy Rain 12
28 Weather Permitting 16
HOA's get your 2018 Fall Pricing NOW
St. Joseph County Indiana
Curbside Leaf Collection Program
First Collection Pass begins soon! Have you subscribed yet? Don't wait to subscribe or you may miss the first pass!
St. Joseph County Leaf Program History & Overview
In the beginning ..........
The St. Joseph County Highway Dept began the Leaf Program in 1993 with just 3 leaf vacs. By 2002 it grew to a 20 vac fleet that was struggling to keep up with program demands due to growing leaf volume, loss of tip sites, rain & snow during collections in November and conflicts with higher priority road requirements including winter preparation to prevent highway deterioration that would cost millions for accelerated road replacement due to winter freeze/thaw damages.
The program required all 75 highway department employees plus up to 45 additional temp workers. The temp workers would last just 24-48 hrs when rain & snow arrived in early November. Hiring was a merry go round of always changing and training temps for cold, dirty and wet curb crew positions. The final year the highway dept performed the program in 2002, the county failed to complete even a two pass program.
Any northern leaf program is always in conflict with one of the primary responsibilities for any highway department, snow plowing and deicing to keep roads clear and safe. One day they are doing leaves and the next day they must change over the entire fleet for snow and ice. Then switch the entire fleet back to leaves after running 24/7 shifts for snow & ice.
Leaf programs require tip sites that require high capacity haulers to transport from the tip sites to licensed compost facilities. Due to a variety of reasons, tip sites turnover frequently and are difficult to maintain and replace. Frequently, excess fleet, labor or time to transport the leaves from those sites in a timely manner is unavailable.
Outsourcing Choking Smoke Control
All of these reasons plus more are why the program was outsourced in 2003. The program was discontinued due to funding shortfalls. Residents resorted to widespread burning from 2005-2012. In the months of October - December St. Joe County had a constant heavy layer of choking smoke each night hanging in the air.
In 2013, resident outcries regarding the choking smoke from spring & fall leaf burning caused the county to restart the program. Unfortunately, the county budget never allowed the program to achieve success from a public perspective as it was only funded at 60% of what was required for a complete program that would satisfy residents.
The county experienced extraordinary growth during the construction boom which caused the program volume to go from 2002 volume of 60,000+/-cyds to a high 2015 volume of over 140,000+cyds. The program more than doubled in size but the county budget allowed for only enough vac crews to collect at the 2002 volume level. When the program restarted, 3 fall passes were budgeted, which were reduced to just two fall passes a short time later to reduce costs even further due to economic restraints.
CV19 Provides the Program Cure
Necessity is the mother of invention. In Jan 2019 it was determined that the program was critical to air quality, health and safety and that the only way to get a successful county-wide program was to commit the required funding over a period that allowed the program long term stability. The county was ready to commit to a 10 year service agreement just as it had committed to 10 years at a time for waste recycling. Then covid hit us.
In Feb 2019, the CV19 Respiratory Pandemic swept the country killing over 585,000 people and governments faced with unexpected CV19 related costs were concerned CV19 would bankrupt local governments. The 10 year plan was suspended but everyone knew that choking smoke could not be allowed anymore or risk further resident health issues related to CV19 and a myriad of other health and respiratory distress concerns.
A Leaf Task force was formed by Commissioner Fleming and met six times. The task force was compiled of a wide variety of govt and resident persons and the current subsidized program was the result. The task force noted that if residents were contributing any money for a subscription, the subsidized program needed to provide guaranteed results that could only be attained through a 4-6 pass program. The vendor had to have the fleet and proven experience performing the work so residents could trust the subscription provider in all kinds of weather. The task force understood that landscapers may have small vacs that work in dry conditions but to guarantee service the vendor would need to have a fleet of municipal vacs that cost over $ 80,000.00 each to purchase new and require heavy CDL driven vehicles to safely tow the vacs. In a cold and snowy fall, residents that decided to try alternatives would return when their contractor did not perform because they did not have the required fleet for the task.
The county would subsidize the program cost so that residents could purchase subscriptions at a much lower cost than open market prices for a Guaranteed and Trusted provider.
Home Advisor online noted the average cost for 2021 is $ 389.00 and has increased 8% +/- annually. Early Bird subsidized subscriptions started at $99.00 and sold out overnight last year. The initial subsidized program was a huge success. Subscribers gave rave reviews. The program cost less than 30% of what the fully funded program would cost and only residents with leaves would participate. Subscribers participated in every collection pass because they were now invested in the program themselves.
Long Term Solution
The St. Joseph County Leaf Program is provided to assist residents in the unincorporated areas of the county dispose of their leaves most efficiently by raking them to their curbs and having them collected by bulk vac. The Program was funded 100% by St. Joseph County until 2020 due to CoVid. In 2020 the county began subsidizing the leaf program so that residents with a high volume of leaves had an affordable alternative to the burn ban, especially in light of CV19 respiratory concerns. In 2020, CoVid respiratory distress became the primary impetus for a new zero tolerance burn ban. The burn amnesty period from the past was eliminated and multiple agencies are now empowered to enforce initial fines for burning of up to $1,000.00 per incident. The County has now renewed the subsidized agreement for three more years with two (3) year renewals thereafter for a total of (9) years.
Affordable Subsidized Subscriptions
Residents must now subscribe to the St. Joseph County curbside collection service or find alternative methods to dispose of their leaves. Subscriptions can be purchased year round but Early Bird rates are the lowest cost way to subscribe. The county has provided specially subsidized Early Bird rates that are steeply discounted from regular active season rates. The biggest resident concern was not enough Early Bird subscriptions to start. Early Bird subscriptions have been doubled now from 1,500 to 3,000 subscriptions available. These rates are limited to the first 3,000 subscribers out of over 33,000 eligible households. See the Subscribe page at www.sjclp.com for details.
Collection Pass Frequency
The resident task force members believed that a high quality, no compromise program should be available to resident subscribers. Some residents thought three passes were enough in the fall without a Spring pass. The desired frequencies was up to 4 in the fall with a Spring pass to collect all late falling leaves. The subscription includes up to Five passes. Although some residents wanted to try to reduce costs by eliminating passes down to 3 total, 99% of subscribers had leaves out for every single pass. Resident participation and usage has dramatically increased for every pass as residents have been required to participate financially through the subsidized subscriptions.
Schedule
Leaves fall at different times of the season, beginning mid-October with many maples and ornamentals dropping first then oak trees among others that hang on sometimes until Spring. To accommodate all subscribers with different species of trees, the County provides a program that begins the third Monday of October and runs until December 18th each year. The Spring Pass begins on the third Monday in May after frost and snow have subsided. Subscribers receive up to 5 Fall passes as received in the very successful initial season. Weather permitting.
Affordable / High Quality / Long Term Resident Solution
The subsidized program received rave reviews from resident subscribers after the highly successful initial subsidized season. The County is excited to have found a program solution that provides residents the highest quality program possible that remains affordable for both the county and resident subscribers. The Commissioners signed a long term contract to provide residents a consistent annual alternative to burning leaves which has been permanently banned at all times. The county council has noted zero tolerance for burning and enacted enforcement thru multiple agencies of up to $1,000.00 fines for first burn ban offenses.
The Status Map and schedule page are not specifically updated until the normal schedule can be resumed when weather permits
The Call Center will have no further details than listed here.
Penn North in Progress 2nd pass working West to East - In Windingbrook
2nd Pass Complete in
Harris / Penn South / Madison / Union / Liberty / Centre / Greene / Warren
Portage / Lincoln / Olive / German / Clay
3rd Pass in Progress
Warren / Olive / German
Clay Zones 4 Farmington / Carriage Hills / Irongate / Swanson
Harris Zone 1 Quail Ridge North & South
3rd Pass Complete in
Penn South / Centre / Madison / Greene / Lincoln / Liberty / Union / Portage
******** Leaves required curbside by 6a on all areas In Progress ********
During active collections multiple crews will be collecting in multiple townships at the same time. If you are in these Townships that are in Progress your leaves must be on your curb by 6am on first day of pass or they may not get collected if you fail to have them at the curbline. Crews will not return or go backwards to collect leaves that were not at the curbline when crews pass by. We recommend tarping leaves in the event of windy conditions to keep them in place and prevent blowing into neighbor's yards. We cannot tell you exactly when crews will be collecting at your address and depending on many variables may be there immediately based on your address in a route or 5 days due to weather or other factors. PLUS+ is a subscription that provides priority scheduling.
HOA Subscribers contact cs@stjoecountyrecycling.com to coordinate your collection day for your HOA.
"Name your collection day" is just one of the many benefits of the HOA Program.
Email all questions re Spring Pass to cs@stjoecountyrecycling.com
#1 reason leaves are not collected is waiting to rake to curb until it is too late!!!
Don't Wait until it's Too Late! Don't wait for a text or email or even worse, when you hear the vacs.
Monitor schedule page and status map for regular updates.
See Status Map for active collection areas.
Due to number of subscribers and daily variables in leaf volume and weather, an exact schedule day cannot be provided. Monitor Schedule Page & Status Map integrated with the Snow Plan during periods of inclement weather.
Pre-service texts are reminders, NOT primary pass notifications and are NOT guaranteed due to text platform issues beyond our control(IE: coverage signals, etc.). You are solely responsible for monitoring Schedule and Status Map herein this site. You may add leaves any time prior to collection but do not wait to put your pile at the curb. If leaves are not at your curb, crews will not return until the next pass, weather permitting.
Subscribers can see collection pass progress on the status map and on the Snow Plan page during periods of inclement weather.
All subscriber addresses/subdivisions ARE NOT on the map. Only HOAs that have a substantial subscriber base are listed. Your address will be collected when crews are in your area(map zone).
During normal collections crews begin in Penn South and work clockwise in multiple townships at the same time. Individual collection dates are not available due to weather, leaf pile volumes, and number of houses.
During periods of freezing temperatures and snow, see the snow plan for schedule. Snow Plan Priority is not finalized until the first day it is activated when snow is in the 15 day forecast.
Spring Pass – All Subscribers receive a Spring Pass to collect any leaves remaining from the oak/pear tree leaves that fall throughout the winter and/or leaves remaining from passes that did not make it to the curb in the fall. When weather prohibits collection in the fall all Subscribers are Guaranteed a Spring Pass to collect remaining leaves at the curb due to inclement weather. See "Snow Plan" when weather prevents safe collections.
Status Map
Monitor status map daily for active Townships/Zones. Zones are updated daily as completed and set "in progress" 24-72 business hours prior to vac crews. Remember all leaves required streetside on first day your area is marked in progress before 6am.
Service Email & Text Alerts
Pre-service - Subscribers receive pre-service email & text alert notification when their address is dispatched for collection. Typically service will occur immediately to up to 72 hours. These service alerts are not the primary subscriber service alerts. They are "last minute" reminders and your leaves are required to be on your curbline per website rules on the first day your Township is "in progress" on the status map. Status Map areas highlighted "in progress" 24-72 hrs in advance. You may add to that pile any time prior to your collection pass. If you wait for the texts you are normally too late. Do not wait until you hear the vacs in your neighborhood and then ask them to come back. They cannot return if leaves are not at curb when they pass by.
Post-service - Subscribers receive a post service delivery text when they have passed by your subscription address. It is too late at that point to rake any more leaves to your curb. All operators take pre and post service date & time stamped pictures and measure your leaf pile every pass for volume.
******** VERY IMPORTANT ********
Your leaves are required to be raked curb-side at 6am on the day your township is highlighted "in-progress" on the Status Map or you may be passed by.
Subscription Sharing is the practice of one resident subscribing to the leaf collection program and then splitting the subscription cost with any number of other neighbors to reduce their personal cost. This practice is stealing and will not be tolerated.
St Joe County has subsidized subscriptions to maintain a low cost for all subscribers. Sharing a subscription cheats all subscribers that pay their fair share because subscription sharing causes prices to increase for all subscribers when the average collection volume per subscription increases substantially beyond the historical average collected volume per resident address.
They think they are getting away with stealing...until they find out
What subscription sharers do not realize is that vac crews take digital before and after pictures for every pass and measure and record each pile prior to collection. Pricing is based on leaf volume, so the price will increase with the added volume. The cheater's subscription price remains with the address. Subscribers that admit they shared may receive a conditonal subscription one time only to reduce cost until a new volume total has been recorded.
What you must do to prevent subscription sharing
Program rules require that all of the following be adhered to:
1. All leaves must be a minimum of 15' from any property line on both sides of the property line.
2. Leaves are recommended to be placed near the subscription markers. See subscription markers page for details/instructions.
3. Leaves required in the front of your home and not on the sides of the residence.
4. Leaves cannot be piled on rear/side property lines that provide opportunity for subscription sharing to occur without the subscriber's permission.
5. Leaves cannot be piled in cul d'sacs.
6. Leaves cannot be piled on any common areas that prevent specific address/owner accountability for the leaf volume.
7. All subscriptions are now measured every pass and annual totals by subscription address will be used for following season's subscription rates.
All subscribers will receive a marker identifying their address as a St Joe County Subsidized Leaf Collection Subscriber. Subscription markers identify subscribers. Your leaf pile DOES NOT need to be at the marker. You may locate your leaf piles anywhere on your curb lines except near obstacles or within 15' of neighboring property lines. All subscription markers have an Identifier that matches the subscription address. Subcription markers will be installed by our Team during the 1st pass and may be removed after the last pass in the fall.
Subscription Markers accomplish three goals:
1. Subscriber Verification - Easy Visual subscription address identification for vac crew drivers so subscribers do not miss a pass for any reason.
2. Vac Crew Driver EZ Identification - Markers are installed during your first pass and removed after your last fall pass.
3. Program Identification - helps neighbors "protect your pile" to prevent high volume fees in the future because someone is dumping leaves illegally into a program subscriber's pile from other neighboring address/es.
Initial Team Member Installation includes marking installation stakes in turf using photodegradeable paint so if at any time the subscription marker is removed, subscriber can see exactly where it needs to be reinstalled. Subscriber curb will also receive a photodegradeable paint mark showing where the front sign stake is installed in the event that your subscription marker is stolen. Photodegradeable paint is a temporary paint mark that is affected and degraded by light and weather.
All subscribers will receive email notification prior to the initial installation by a Team Member during the first pass. All subscription markers will be installed so you can be confident your subscription address will never miss a pass. If you do not have leaves at your curb when we come for first pass we will still install your subscription marker for future passes.
Call Center / Vac Crews are NOT working today due to the
Snow/Ice on Roadways & Freezing Temperatures
Call Center will reopen when weather permits Vac Collections to resume
Email cs@StJoeCountyRecycling.com with questions
The St Joe County Recycling Leaf Collection Public Safety Snow Plan goes into effect when forecast temperatures are below 39 degrees(Wind chill aka "RealFeel") and snow accumulation is in the 15 day forecast. When snow is in the forecast, normal scheduling changes according to HOA subscriber percentage priority list below. HOAs with highest percentage of subscribers and high volume subscribers receive the highest priority. Individual PLUS+ Subscribers also receive Priority service.
Vac Trailers cannot be safely driven on roads with ice/snow. Leaf piles often freeze, and frozen chunks damage vacs, leading to costly repairs and delays. Temperatures generally need to stay above 39 degrees to ensure that leaf piles have no ice in them and do nto bond to the surfaces. The "pitch fork test" is used to check piles from the bottom up to confirm whether piles are frozen to the ground or contain ice.
Snow Plan Priority based on HOA Subscription Percentage
One of the benefits of encouraging neighbors to subscribe as a Group/HOA is that your HOA will rise on the Priority List when the Snow Plan is in effect. Top Priority is assigned to HOAs that have the highest percentage of subscribers and then by volume and where conditions allow collection. Very often conditions differ in the same neighborhood based on sun vs shade exposures. When snow plan is in effect, it benefits everyone in your neighborhood to be subscribed, so your priority rises on the snow safety plan priority list below. This is critical for your HOA when the collection season is cut short by freezing temps and snow. County receives snow by 2nd week of November over 70% of the time.
Your Group/HOA may receive HOA advance collection alerts by email/text by subscribing as a Group/HOA. Minimum Group size is defined as a neighborhood with at least 24 subscribers. HOA's subscribing as a whole have no minimum subscriber requirements.
All subscriber locations are not listed. Your address will be collected during the time vacs are in the same zone as the neighborhood listed on the Snow Plan Priority List below. See Status Map for your Collection Zone and neighborhoods as reference points.
Leaf Pile Placement
When the Snow Contingency Plan is in effect all resident leaves are required within 5' of the curb or they will not be collected with the exception of main arterials and/or where a safety/traffic hazard would exist. Most subdivisions have adequate curbline road width. We cannot recommend placing leaves in roadway but leaves on grass freeze to the surface and do not collect cleanly.
During the Public Safety Snow Plan neighborhoods/zones will be marked In Progress 4-8 days prior to vac crews but any new precipitation will delay collections(2 days for every 1 day of precipitation). Nights with freezing temperatures suspend collections until temperatures and conditions permit.
What happens if the temperatures do not go above 39 degrees at night?
In the event that weather prevents the completion of any pass and the program is suspended due to weather for 10 days, the program shall be considered complete when the Spring pass has been completed for all Subscribers. No refunds for any passes incomplete due to weather. Program service will be suspended from Dec 18th to Spring Pass when service cannot be performed for 10 days. In the event of a warm-up after the program has been suspended for weather, autovacs will collect leaves according to the Snow Plan Priority Schedule - HOAs - High Volume - PLUS+ - Standard Subscriptions.
Call Center Team can only reference online Status map and Snow plan.
Specific days not available.
Team cannot provide any further details about the collection schedules.
Please do not call to ask "when will you be at my house/neighborhood".
Monitor the status map and snow plan priority list.
Zoom in on your Township Zone to view current status. All Medium to Very High Volume Subdivisions have a 
denoting the HOA location.
Click on your HOA pin and you see the following details:
- Subdivision Name
- Township Name
- Zone Number - all passes proceed in numerical zone sequence
- Assigned Volume Class
- Completed Passes
- Subdivision Pins will change status color as Passes are completed.
- If your subdivision has received a Bonus Pass between Scheduled Passes it will be noted.
Leaf Pickup Rules
Review and follow these rules to ensure swift and easy pickup of your leaves. Leaves that do not conform to these guidelines risk being passed by and not picked up. Vac crews will not return to collect non-conforming piles, and disposal will be the responsibility of the resident.
All leaves must be raked to your curb line before 6am of the scheduled pass when your area is marked in progress on the status map. Leaves raked to the Curb after the vacs have passed by will not be collected unless you have a future pass scheduled for your home.
Don't Bag!
Do not bag leaves if you would like them collected by the program. They will not be picked up and we will not return.
No Contaminated Piles
NEW for 2022! Grass clippings and pine needles will be collected if part of a larger leaf pile! Piles containing primarily/only grass clippings will not be collected.
NO branches, compost, prior season leaf piles, dirt, mud, tree limbs, gravel, ice, snow, stones, lumber, pet feces or trash mixed with leaves will be picked up. They cause the entire leaf pile to be be "non-conforming" and the Vac crews will not return to that pile. Composted Leaf Piles left on the curb from prior season will not be collected. The only exception is that fall leaves will be picked up during the Spring pass. Residents are solely responsible for the disposal of non-conforming piles.
Crews document the contaminated pile/s through digital recording or doorhangers.
5 Foot Rule
All leaves must be within 5' of the front lawn curb. If leaves overflow into road we will collect them, but any portion of the pile cannot extend more than 5 feet from the curb either direction whether on the lawn or road. Vacs and crews are not allowed to leave the roadway due to potential property damage.
During snow contingency leaves must be on the road if you are in a subdivision and leaves in road do not present a safety/traffic hazard. Otherwise they freeze/stick to the grass and do not collect cleanly. The pictures below show violations of the 5' rule and disposal of all of the piles were the responsibility of the residents.
All leaves must be on the front lawn address curbside or they will not be collected.
Sidewalks - If next to the roadway, leaves must be raked completely onto the sidewalk for collection. The leaves beyond 5' will not be collected. If you have a 5' lawn between sidewalk and curb all leaves required to be on tree lawn within 5' of curb.
Rake Rule - An easy method to measure five feet from the curb/asphalt road is to use your rake length. The length of almost all rakes is 5' and provides an easy to use measuring stick already in your hands when raking leaves to the road.
Raked Piles Required
All leaves must be raked into piles within 5 feet of your curb lines to be collected. Vac crews are not responsible for raking your leaves into a pile for curbline collection. See photos below
To prevent leaves from being blown by the wind, use a tarp to cover pile after raking them to the curbline to keep pile in place.
No Burning Allowed
Smoldering leaves or ashes of any kind are a Fire Hazard and will not be collected at any time.
Burning has been permanently banned in St Joe County. First offenders subject to up to a $ 1,000.00 fine per incident per day. See Air Pollution Ordinance page.
Keep Leaves Away From Obstacles
All leave must be easily accessible and at least 15' minimum from mailboxes, trash cans, and obstacles and at least 28' from a parked vehicle to prevent property damage.
In the event you do not have front lawn frontage to allow for the required distances you must rake leaves into the road as far from the obstacle/s as possible and within 5' of the curb.
No Leaves in Ditches
Keep all leaves out of ditches. Vac hoses do not have adequate reach to collect below road grade and crews do not rake piles out of ditches to the road. Crews are not authorized to leave the roadway at any time due to damage/safety rules. You may rake leaves into the road within 5' of the curbline if required to keep leaves out of the ditch and accessible for collection crews.
Doorhangers
Pictures & Doorhangers documenting non-conformance/rule violations are forwarded to the County if you report a miss for a non-conforming pile. If you miss that pass due to a rule violation, you will be solely responsible for disposing of the pile. Doorhanger addresses are emailed to Customer Service with pictures/video of the Policy non-conformance/violation.
Keep Away from Fences/Walls
Do not put leaves inside, on and/or near fences/walls of any type. Resident will be solely responsible for disposal.
If you cannot leave at least 10' space from the fence to the pile please rake leaves into the road within 5' of the curbline for your leaves to be collected. This prevents damage to the fence/wall and/or vacs.
No Leaves on Stone/Gravel Beds
Any leaves on Stone/Gravel Beds will not be collected. Leaves must be on grass.
If your entire curb area is gravel/stone, your leaves are required to be in the road way or behind your stone in the 5' turf area or they will not be collected. This is an exception to the normal rule only for residents with 100% stone/gravel curb lines. The following pictures show violations of the Stone/Gravel rule and disposal of all of the piles were the responsibility of the residents.
Grass and Pine Needles
NEW FOR 2022! Grass clippings and/or pine needles will be picked up if part of a leaf pile! Piles of primarily/only grass or pine needles will not be collected.
Lawns
St. Joe County Recycling & St. Joseph County are not responsible for grass/lawn areas that discolor/die due to leaf accumulation. If resident has a major concern for lawn, resident should dispose of their own leaves within County guidelines. All leaves are required to be on the front lawn curbline only.
Raking into the roadway is required when leaves get wet/frozen/snow covered. If you do not rake your leaves into the roadway during these conditions, vacs will leave a portion of the bottom of the pile that does not collect and you will be responsible for disposal when they thaw out. We do not return for partial piles due to leaving them in the lawn area after they get wet/frozen.
Front Lawn Curb Only
Leaf Piles that are not on a residence front lawn within 5' of the curb except as noted herein per the Program Rules, will not be collected. County Program does not include collection on non-resident roadway/shoulders across from resident lawns or wooded lot curb lines without homes. Program will not collect behind homes, in the middle of culdsacs or courts, on islands across from your front/side curb lawn and/or in any area other than the front lawn per rules herein. NO EXCEPTIONS.
No Outlet Roads
Leaf Piles that are not farther than 80' from the end of "No Outlet" roads that do not have cul d sac turnarounds will not be collected. Trucks & Vac rig combined total length do not allow safe collection without backing up the rig on a residential street which is not authorized due to safety considerations.
In streets where vacs cannot access the leaf pile, the resident must rake the leaf pile to an area that is allowed per program guidelines that safely allows the vac crew to collect without endangering equipment and/or Team.
Residents Only
Program includes only residents per COVERAGE tab & does NOT include Business/Commercial/Government/Non-profit/Parks or any other property. We will provide quotes upon request specific to these property categories. HOA common areas require individual subscriptions for each island/location/park.
Roadways
Anytime that leaves are not dry and fluffy they should be raked into the street to preserve your lawn. The exception to this rule is leaves may not be raked onto any streets that are main arterials/roadways that the piles would cause any safety hazard/s.
Thanksgiving is normally a time that if the weather has not yet turned cold and snowy it will change soon. To prepare for the cold weather and protect your lawn you should rake existing piles into the street and keep them as close to the curb as possible and within 5' of the curb.
Wet, frozen, snow covered or compacted piles due to weather conditions are required to be raked into the street within 5' of the curb so that the pile may be collected as cleanly as possible. Vac crews will not return to collect partial piles that are sticking or frozen to the ground.
Cul d'sacs/Courts - Residents cannot rake any leaves into the center of their cul d sac/court.
Spring piles are all required to be in the roadway for efficient collection and to allow your lawn to begin growing again as soon as possible. By moving your leaf pile to the street you will aerate your lawn surface and promote faster regrowth.
Gated and Villa Communities
Gated/Villa communities may purchase community wide service. Gated / Villa and maintenance free communities are not included in the basic public program. The following Gated / Villa Communities are not included: Any Gated/Villa communities that have lawn care, including but not limited to: Berkshire Villas, Cloverleaf Villas, Country Village, Covington Shores Villas, Farmington Commons, Gumwood Crossing, Knollwood Park Villas, New London Condominiums, Quail Ridge Villas, Sable Ridge Villas, Shamrock Hills, Streamwood Villas, Summer Hill Villas, Tawny Lake Villas, Villas at Lake Blackthorn, Villas at Sandalwood, Wellington Park Villas, Wild Wing Plantation, Woodbridge Condominiums.
Wooded Lots
All owners with natural wooded lots with less lawn than wooded area may purchase a PLUS+ Subscription which provides HOA Unlimited type service. It is recommended by the County that composting alternatives be incorporated by the owners.
NO EXCEPTIONS
When will you be at my house?
See the SCHEDULE, STATUS MAP or SNOW PLAN. Crews begin in Multiple Townships and work clockwise every pass. We cannot provide specific days per township due to conditions, variable leaf volume and the weather. Multiple townships are in progress at the same time using multiple vac crews. When the SNOW PLAN is in effect, priority is based on the SNOW PLAN.
Your leaves are required to be at your curb on the first day of the pass. You may add to them any time prior to collection. You will receive pre-delivery texts that are NOT designed to notify you to BEGIN raking your leaves to the curb. Your leaves should already be at your curb and you can add to the pile any time prior to your collection pass.
I mulch my leaves with my mower which also picks up minor grass clippings. Will you pick up my leaves?
Minor amount of grass clippings are not a concern and will be picked up. However, mulching mowers compact the leaves and normally exit the mower collection device in what we call a "brick". These bricks do not vac up easily and can clog machines. Therefore, mulched bricks will NOT be collected.
Can I move my Guaranteed Collection Subscription Marker?
The Guaranteed Collection Subscription Marker assists in identifying subscriber addresses and allows neighbors to identify any non-subscribers blowing their leaves into subscriber leaf piles. The marker serves as a suggested leaf pile location. It is recommended to keep Subscription Marker in place for the season. However, if a Subscription Marker is lost, the address of the home is still on the pickup route. See Rules page to assure pile is in compliance.
You missed my house! When will you be back?
PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME YOU HAVE BEEN MISSED IF YOUR ZONE HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED on the Status Map. Please always check the Status Map before Emailing a "Miss" form.
Please do not rake out after the vac has passed you by and claim a "miss". All vac drivers take pre and post service date and time stamped pictures on every pass for every subscriber. We measure and document every pass volume at your curb.
All collection vehicles have GPS tracking units installed so that in the event any "miss" is filed online, the Care Center checks our tracking documentation to see if address was truly missed or vacs had already gone by and there were no leaves at the time. We also use video proof of service verification to confirm all GPS trails.
If vacs truly missed your residence and it was a conforming pile, vacs will return within 72 hrs. to collect. If vac crews haven't completed your area per the status map please wait to contact us until your area is completed on the status map.
Will my subscription cost the full price if I subscribe after a pass has already gone through my area?
Yes. Prices are determined by the volume of leaves, not by the number of passes.
Do you pick up brush & tree limbs or pine needles?
Brush, tree limbs, sticks, or wood will NOT be collected, as they damage equipment and create safety hazards. A limited amount of grass clippings or pine needles within a leaf pile is allowed and will be collected.
What happens when it gets cold and/or snows?
When the snow contingency plan is in effect all resident leaves must be in the roadway within 5' of the curb or they will not be collected. Temperatures must be above 39 degrees for 5 consecutive nights to allow collections. The Leaf Program will halt due to cold temperatures and/or while it is snowing, just like the County, to tend to snow & ice management issues and then return to the Leaf program as quickly as weather permits. Repeated Snowfall causes leaf piles to be layered with snow and ice. To thaw layered snow and ice from piles typically requires a minimum of 5 to 10 days of temperatures above 34 degrees at night and continuously during the day time for the entire 1 to 2 week period. If any snow is present or in the forecast, the Snow Plan will be in effect. Go to SNOW PLAN for details.
What is the cost for the St. Joseph County Leaf Program?
Pricing is based on leaf volume. See Pricing Guidelines on Subscribe page.
What are the cost factors which cause the St. Joseph County Leaf Program pricing to increase?
Pricing is affected by all of the same economic inflationary factors that are causing all products/services to increase. SJCR had only one pricing increase in the last three years. The SJC Board of Commissioners has guaranteed a 10 year rate lock based on the 2023 pricing structure. You can maintain the lowest subscription price annually by joining the Clean Air Club. See Clean Air Club tab for details. All CAC members will automatically receive the lowest pricing available for their subscription category when they are automatically renewed each February. CAC members will be guaranteed the Early Bird Pricing when their subscription automatically renews.
The primary cost factors are:
Labor - Labor is very difficult to find and maintain for a program that requires frequently working in the bitter cold and snowy conditions with the Great Resignation.
Disposal - High volume users pay a higher subscription cost due to having more leaves than an average subscriber. The Organic Resource Center doubled their disposal rates to $ 7.60 per cubic yard for yard waste. An avg subscriber is allotted an average qty of leaves to be disposed of and even high volume subscribers have their added disposal costs subsidized by SJC.
Energy/Fuel - energy/fuel costs have risen from $ 1.99 two years ago to as high as $ 5.50 gallon. This is a direct cost and a single vac crew will go through over 100 gallons daily.
Energy/Shop Maintenance - electricity/natural gas costs have increased substantially and increased shop overhead costs.
CDL Drivers - due to a nationwide CDL driver shortage, CDL costs have increased over 200%.
Fleet Parts - nationwide increases in parts due to labor/logistics/steel costs have not only doubled in some instances but parts must be carried in inventory due to shortages to guarantee fleet repairs during the active season.
Technology Platforms - the program uses twelve different technology platforms from fleet gps to proof of service digitization to staff day/time automation. Like everything else in the last three years, all of the technology platforms have increased in cost as well citing all of the factors noted herein.
I have a limited area at the curb with many leaves to rake out. How do I keep from raking continually to keep the leaves at the curb?
Some residents use tarps over their leaf piles to maintain the leaves at the curb. Tarps also help keep the leaves dryer and snow free if totally covered. St Joe County Recycling will remove the tarps but is not responsible for tarps left at curbside after they are removed from your curb piles. DO NOT use bricks or stones to hold down tarps because they damage leaf vacs.
How do you suggest residents keep their leaves curbside to them from blowing away?
Some residents use tarps over their leaf piles to maintain the leaves at the curb. St Joe County Recycling will remove the tarps to collect the leaves but is not responsible for tarps left at curbside after they are removed from your leaf piles. Never use bricks or stones to hold down the tarp because they will damage the vacs and the resident will be financially responsible for the damage. Tires or pieces of lumber longer than 3' in length are recommended to hold down the tarp.
When is the Burning Amnesty Period ?
There is now a Zero Tolerance Burn Ban. See AIR POLLUTION ORDINANCE tab.
I Feel my subdivision classification volume should be classified as Very High/High. How do I get it reevaluated?
The County has prioritized neighborhoods/subdivisions by overall annual volume according to collections performed & Recorded by the St. Joseph County Highway Department. All Prioritization is based on neighborhoods/subdivisions averages, NOT on most leaves collected at any single address. Requests for reevaluations can be made on the contact form by checking the Customer Service option, completing the form and explaining in the “your message” area why you feel the reevaluation should be completed. Reevaluations will not occur during this season. Collection volume for this season will be reviewed for qualification for the following season.
I don't see my address/subdivision listed on the medium to very high volume menu pull downs?
If it is not listed it has been classified by the County as a low/very low volume subdivision but it will still be collected if you are subscriber in that subdivision.
My house has many trees but I am in a medium or low volume classification subdivision?
County DID NOT classify density/volume based on a single address or street in a subdivision. Volume classifications are based on the average for your subdivision in relationship to all other County subdivisions based on actual recorded volume for all subdivisions, NOT just your address. You receive the benefit of the average for your neighborhood.
I have a basketball hoop along my curb. Do I need to move it?
Yes. Remove temporary/portable basketball hoops off of the street and away from the curb or edge of the pavement. These items protrude into the path of the leaf vacuum machines and will cause damage to the machine and the basketball hoop system. We will not collect within 80' of a basketball hoop to allow for truck/vac trailer lengths. We are not responsible for any items left in the roadway/service area/s.
Since St Joe County Recycling is picking up our leaves at curbside, will St Joe County Recycling also pick up the leaves from my lawn and beds on a periodic basis? This would keep them from blowing away.
No, at this time individual residential collection is not provided.
When did the county program start when it was performed by the St. Joseph County Highway Department?
For 14 years the county program always started on the third Monday of October and continued through December 23rd, every year, weather permitting.
Was the county program successful when the highway department performed collections?
No, the highway dept. has conflicting critical services in the fall and South Bend Tribune archives tell the story of frustrated residents every fall season. The final year highway dept did the program they only completed one pass. Road chip/cracksealing and snow and ice management preparation and service created 3-5 day service gaps. St. Joseph County always gets snow in November and snow & ice service is a critical safety function of the highway dept that always had priority over the leaf program. If highway dept failed to chip/crackseal roads, substantial infrastructure damages would occur that would cost much more than the costs to outsource the program. The current vendor is also less than 50% of the cost for the highway dept to perform equal services and is back to collections immediately following any snow or ice event when temps allow.
The St. Joseph County Leaf Collection Program includes ONLY the Unincorporated areas of St. Joseph County and includes ONLY residential dwellings and not their associated vacant lots or nearby (across the street) fields/lots. County addresses have 5 digits in unincorporated areas. Incorporated areas are not included. The following is a list of the Incorporated areas of St. Joseph County that ARE NOT included in the Leaf Collection Program.
South Bend Mishawaka Roseland North Liberty Walkerton Lakeville
New Carlisle Osceola Indian Village
If you would like your incorporated area to enjoy a dependable and efficient leaf collection solution have your municipal leaders contact us now for program options.
St. Joseph County has subsidized the program so residents have an option for leaf disposal, now that the Burn Ban is in place.
The complete solution includes up to 5 collection passes with disposal included.
Go to Subscribe Now for details.
The St. Joe County Council realized the need to improve air quality to protect resident adults and children with breathing difficulties, so they passed a Zero Tolerance Burn Ban with fines of up to $1,000.00 per infraction. This means there is no burn amnesty, burning is prohibited at all times. Officals also realized the need to be consistent with Mishawaka and South Bend who have had burn bans for many years. In addition to the County Health officer, the Sheriff and Township Fire Depts can now issue fines of up to $1,000.00 per infraction. Now you can anonymously report burning 24/7 using the
Contact Us form and selecting "Report Burning"
When you include a date and time stamped picture and/or video with the report as evidence of the burning, the resident will be notified they are in violation of the new St Joseph County ordinance which provides for fines of up to $1,000.00 per infraction.
Report Burning to the Sheriff
Sheriff will dispatch an officer to the burning address
Call 574.235.9611
New St Joe County Zero Tolerance Burn Ban
First Fines increased up to $ 1,000.00 per occurrence.
County Council has declared NO BURNING OF ANY KIND!
Due to air quality, health & safety concerns.
Are your neighbors Burning?
Go to Contact Us Tab for Anonymous Burning Tip Hotmail
Report Burning to your Township Fire Dept
Clay & German 574.272.3012
Harris 574.235.9611
All other Townships 574.235.9611
Report Burning to the St Joseph County Health Dept
574.235.9721
NO BURNING - Smoldering leaves or ashes of any kind are a Fire Hazard and will not be collected at any time and resident will be solely responsible for disposal. Subscribers will be terminated without refund and permanently banned from program.
Clean Air Loyalty Club Member Subscriptions
Lowest Subscription Price Guaranteed EVERY YEAR!
We are excited to introduce the Clean Air Loyalty Club. In the past, every Spring during the Early Bird Sale, you could subscribe for the lowest subscription prices of the season. Due to high demand, the Early Bird Subscriptions have historically sold out in just a few days, due to the fact that only 4,500 County Subsidized Early Bird Subscriptions have been available, for a buyer pool of over 33,000 households served by the Leaf Collection program in unincorporated St. Joseph County.
St Joe County Recycling has introduced the Clean Air Loyalty Club for those residents that have subscribed in the past and renew annually because they care about keeping the air clean for everyone’s health and welfare.
The Clean Air Club is the same dependable program you have received every fall with up to 4 Fall passes and one Spring pass.
The Clean Air Club rewards Loyalty Members with the lowest guaranteed price available every season without the need to remember the Early Bird Sale start date or lose out on the lowest subscription price available.
Clean Air Club Loyalty Member Subscriptions are renewed automatically, every season, during Clean Air Club renewal time, at the lowest guaranteed price!
To recap your exclusive Clean Air Club Member Benefits:
- Lowest Guaranteed Subscription category rate
- Automatic annual renewal on January 3rd before the Early Bird is Available
- High Volume Clean Air Club Members receive a Discounted High Volume Rate
- Guaranteed Subscription Marker for all Clean Air Club Subscriptions
To take advantage of this Special Offer simply
Click the Clean Air Club Member link below and subscribe:
Any/All Cancellations/Refunds incur a $ 49.00 Fee
No Exceptions
(aka Zero Tolerance Burn Ban)
Providing curb side collection when you want it
*** Limited Daily Quantity – First come First served ***
Minimum 2 days in Advance Required - IF you select less than 3rd day it will not allow completion for the future date - Same day/Next day collections not available
“Having a dinner party and want to clean up your yard and get rid of the leaf piles same day?”
“Weekend football party and need a clean curb for your guests to park?”
“Did you miss your pass and don’t want to wait until your next scheduled pass occurs due to snow in the forecast?”
We have the solution for you. Many subscribers asked for it and now you can get it. New for this fall is the OnDemand Express Service subscription. OnDemand subscriptions are valid for one (1) curb side collection specifically for the service date purchased. OnDemand subscriptions DO NOT require any other subscription/s. They stand alone.
The easy OnDemand subscription process is as follows:
-
Select the date below that you would like to book for OnDemand service. This date is the specified service date you are reserving in advance for your OnDemand subscription. You are purchasing one collection pass on the specified date.
November
- Sun
- Mon
- Tue
- Wed
- Thu
- Fri
- Sat
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- Sold Out
- Sold Out
- Sold Out
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- Sold Out
- Sold Out
- Sold Out
- 25
- 26
- 27
- Sold Out
- Sold Out
- Sold Out
December
-
The date is a link to the subscription shopping cart.
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Complete your Purchase in the shopping cart.
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Ensure your leaves are at your curb line before midnight of the date prior to your OnDemand subscription.
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Ensure your leaf piles are compliant to ensure collection. See details on the Rules tab at www.sjclp.com.
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Your OnDemand collection will occur anytime between midnight to midnight for the purchased service date.
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Autovacs run 24/7 and may perform service at any time after midnight and before midnight on your purchase date.
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All OnDemand subscriptions will be purchased in advance at least two days prior due to limited availability. We do offer a same day service option. Please call the office directly for more details in regards to Same Day Service at 574.213.9440 and ask for Same Day Service Subscription details.
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If conditions do not permit collection on the specified date, your OnDemand collection will occur on the first available weekday that conditions do permit collections. See www.sjclp.com for details on conditions permitting collections.
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Vacs will not return and OnDemand service is completed if your pile is not at the curb as specified and compliant.
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OnDemand subscriptions will not be refunded for any reason/s including but not limited to no underlying base subscription. Any OnDemand subscriber that does not have a base subscription will receive a credit to their address towards a Base Subscription.
Initial OnDemand subscriptions will be limited to just 20 collection stops daily. You can purchase as many OnDemand subscription dates as you desire.
Reserve your subscription now to ensure your desired OnDemand service date/s.
"
Thank you so much for the program! New to the area and before we knew about the program in 2020 we hired a small landscaping company that took our money upfront, showed up once and then after collecting half the pile said they refused to collect anymore without more money!
We tried you last fall and the service was incredible. Last place we lived the local County program only made two passes and were done and there were still leaves on the ground. We received five passes last year with your program and I'm looking forward to the free pass this spring. And the cost is incredible. Anyone who complains about it has never had to pay disposal fees for leaves. Thank you again and we look forward to using you forever.
~ Jacquie
"
It's wonderful that you listened to subscriber feedback and changed the program this year. Love the new improvements. We do not have grass or pine needles in our piles but we have neighbors that are joining the program now and we are hoping we can get enough together to do the HOA Unlimited Program next year before the February deadline.
~ Grace
"
We told our Commissioner how much we appreciate the program. It is one of the only ways we see our tax dollars coming back to us as a service we value. Wish the County would start using the same model for snow removal. Worst ever service provided by the county is snow removal in subdivisions. Lucky this was a light year. Only got stuck 5xs in my subdivision.
~ Jessica
"
The county employees that collect the leaves at our house were so polite and helpful. They greeted us, smiled and even moved the leaves away from our mailbox so next time we will keep the pile away from the mailbox. Thank you for your hard work. We really do appreciate what you do for us.
~ Alice
"
As a businessman I know how much it costs to provide a service like the leaf program at such a reduced cost to residents. I also know that most municipalities would skimp or provide minimal service simply to "assist" and not provide a high quality total solution. The county got this one right for once. Total high quality solution, minimal shared cost, through a true public/private partnership. Keep it coming.......
~ Bill
"
I am a vocal opponent of the county or any Govt entity charging constituents for what should be provided at no individual cost but after years of a minimal, two pass service from the county, I am happy to pay the reduced cost to us available thru the subsidy to receive a program that really provides a complete service. My only recommendation is that the county needs to make more Early Bird subscriptions available. Three thousand Early Bird subscriptions for thirty three thousand households isn't fair to the other thirty thousand families that will be fined if they burn.
~ Keith
"
The smoke in the fall air is almost non-existent compared to when the county provided a two pass program. We thank you for that. My daughter has asthma and had a tough time breathing in the fall back then. The only complaint we have is that while most neighbors obey the law, a few neighbors flagrantly burn ignoring others health and welfare. Why doesn't the county enforce the burn ban?
~ Laura
"
The signup process was so ez and we love the texts we get before and after each pass. We had another provider and they never answered the phone in spite of the fact it was the owner's cell phone. Your new call center ladies are great. They are happy to answer questions and reply almost real time to our emails. Thank you for this program!
~ Brook
"
Thank you for working with us to establish our neighborhood program with a reduced participation requirement to get it going. The benefits you now offer are double what the other vendor provided at less cost with our neighborhood program discount. The neighborhood is looking forward to the program and we believe the remaining neighbors that have not subscribed yet will signup when the leaves are falling. As the President I don't have much time to spend on getting things like this going but you made the communication and subscription process so easy I almost did nothing other than facilitate. Flawless! Look forward to working with you all!
~ Steve
The Goal is to collect as many leaves possible
Each & Every time we pass your home, the 1st Time
St Joe County Recycling works hard to achieve that goal in many ways. Just one method is by employing Scouts which inspect your neighborhood pre-collection pass to identify leaf piles which cannot be collected by crews in their current form due to non-conformance with Program Guidelines originally established by the St. Joseph Highway Department and used by all municipal programs today.
This is the front & back of a St. Joseph County Leaf Program Doorhanger.
New Intuitive Pictorial Door Hangers Make it EZ to Identify
Why your leaf pile wasn't collected the 1st time.
To enhance resident communication, new Door Hangers have pictures of all of the most common reasons why vac crews cannot collect leaves. These pictures match the www.sjclp.com Rules tab Help pages.
The reasons are all related to the following:
- Safety
- Damage Prevention
- Equipment Limits
- County Requirements
and they are all Rules used by the St. Joseph County Highway Dept for 14 years. Scouts simply put a check mark in the box next to the picture to visually highlight the reason why your leaves have not been collected.
Each Door Hanger has a unique identifying number at the top that is emailed with pictures of each non-conformance to the County for reference with your address. Do not call the County. Customer service cannot help. The non-conformance must be corrected prior to your next scheduled collection. That may mean disposing of the non-conforming pile on your own and starting with a fresh pile.
Follow these steps:
- 1. Correct the non-conformance so vac crews are able to collect your leaves on the next pass if you are eligible.
- 2. To see if you are eligible for another pass, Go to the Passes tab at www.sjclp.com
- 3. If you are eligible and your pile is within guidelines after moving or removing the contamination, , follow the instructions online and register if required.
If you have missed your last pass as a result of your non-conformance, you are solely responsible for the disposal of your leaves.
Please visit the Rules tab to make sure all your leaves are within program guidelines for timely collection the first time crews come by.
Further Details - To assist residents in rule compliance to attain maximum collections during passes, Pictures & Doorhangers documenting non-conformance/rule violations are hung on resident doors explaining what is non-conforming and how to change so their leaves can be collected in the future if there are any remaining passes they are eligible to receive. Doorhangers are forwarded to the County so that when residents think they were missed, the County CSR has a record of why they were passed by. Some residents may only receive one pass this year due to County changes. If you miss that pass due to a rule violation, you will be solely responsible for disposing of the pile. Doorhanger addresses are emailed to Customer Service & the County with pictures/video of the Policy non-conformance/violation. The non-conforming leaves may be marked with photo-degradable paint to clearly identify the non-conforming leaves to vac crews and for video recording purposes. Doorhangers/associated pictures are posted online with day/time stamps. The violations are left to right and first row then second row beginning with too close to a mailbox, leaf pile on a stone bed, grass clippings mixed in pile, behind the house & too far off the alley, over the curb, off the sidewalk too far from the street, over 5' from road. Please read the Rules tab for conformance guidelines to insure your leaf pile gets collected. These County rules are the same rules used by the County Highway Department and all municipal leaf collection programs.
Please read the Rules tab for conformance guidelines to insure your leaf pile gets collected. These County rules are the same rules used by the County Highway Department and all municipal leaf collection programs. Once your leaf pile is within guidelines you may register for the next collection pass, if one is available.
St. Joseph County New & Improved
HOA "Unlimited" & PLUS+ Subscription Programs
HOA Subscriptions have no minimum Participation threshold for introductory season if paid through custom HOA Payment Link provided to HOA Board Members
Initial Participation Percentage Requirement will be based 2nd year on first year HOA Board participation
Deadline for HOA Subscriptions is February 14th
PLUS+ Subscription Program is for indviduals that do not live in a HOA or have HOA consensus but demand the highest service level available.
HOA neighbors have a unique ability to organize their community to receive exclusive program benefits available only to neighborhoods that work together. We can do this together ! Neighbors that no longer have an active HOA may apply for a Group Program to attain many of the same HOA Benefits. Individual subscribers and small Groups can purchase similar Benefit Programs by adding a “PLUS+” Subscription.
The HOA Benefit Package includes all the following plus more!
1.) Unlimited Pile Locations – You tell us where you want to put your leaf pile. You decide where on your curb line works best for you. HOA residents decide where they want their leaves on their available curb line. Corner lots may use both sides of lot and cul-de-sac residents may pile in the center of the court and/or rear property lines if front curb line does not provide adequate curb line.
2.) Concierge’ 24/7 Personal Communication - You get a Live Voice anytime day or night. Dial your personal hotline 24/7 to get schedule updates, find out how weather is affecting schedules, address your special concerns and many more questions as they arise. HOA Board Members love having direct access for answers when they need them.
3.) Unlimited Volume/Equal Subscription Rate – Your HOA High Volume Users do not pay an added disposal surcharge. Standard Subscriptions are based on measured volume. High volume subscribers pay added disposal costs which range from $ 49.00 up to $ 349.00 in addition to the standard base subsidized rate.
4.) Unlimited Bonus Passes – Oak Trees ? You are going to Love this! HOAs continue to receive unlimited bonus passes if weather allows collections and until leaves are gone.Weather permitting, HOA Bonus Passes can also be scheduled. Standard Subscribers receive scheduled collection passes weather permitting according to the schedule for the whole county. When standard subscription passes are completed, the program is done until the Spring Pass.
5.) Snow Plan Priority – Go to the front of the line. HOAs receive Snow Plan Priority based on total subscribers in your HOA subscription. When snow is in the forecast your HOA leaps to the top of the county wide collection priority schedule.
6.) "Service when you want it” –You can schedule your HOA Spring Pass any time weather permits, whether it is May or March. Service when you want it. Standard Subscribers receive a scheduled Spring Pass which begins on the third Monday in May weather permitting. Depending on the Spring thaw date, some subscribers would prefer a Spring Pass earlier so their leaves and Spring Cleanups are complete.
7.) HOA Specific Advance Collection Pass Alerts – You will know when vacs are coming through. You tell your Concierge’ how many days in advance you prefer collection alerts for your HOA and all HOA members receive both email and text advance collection alerts so they know when vacs will be in their neighborhood. Standard subscribers receive schedule information online at www.sjclp.com which is just Township specific.
8.) No Subscription Markers Required – No Subscription Markers because everyone is working together. Standard Subscribers require a Subscription Marker to identify the subscription location.
HOAs can receive Guaranteed Subscription Rate Options for up to Three (3) Subsidized Program Seasons so you can plan for HOA dues.
See Program Type Subscription Benefit comparison chart below for Executive Summary of all your Exclusive HOA Benefits.
| Subscription Program Comparison | |||||
| Subscription Types | |||||
| INDIVIDUAL | GROUP / HOA | ||||
| “Unlimited” | |||||
| Standard | PLUS+***** | Group | HOA | ||
| EZ Online Subscription Process (www.sjclp.com) | x | x | x | x | |
| Special Subscription Rates (Lowest rates) | EBS* | x | DGS** | Best | |
| Subscriber Call Center (M-F 9a-4p during Active Season) | x | x | x | x | |
| www.sjclp.com (Latest Program Details & Info) | x | x | x | x | |
| Schedule Alerts by Townships (Online Status Map) | x | x | x | x | |
| Triple Play Proof of Service (You know we perform) | x | x | x | x | |
| Licensed / Verified Disposal Sites ***(See below) | x | x | x | x | |
| Collection Passes **** (Fall Passes + Spring Passes) | 4+1 | 4+1 | 4+1 | 6+2 | |
| Subscription Markers | x | x | x | NSMR | |
| Unlimited Bonus Passes **** (Perfect for HOAs w/ oak trees that drop late) | x | x | x | ||
| Unlimited Volume (Subscription rate not volume based) | x | x | x | ||
| Unlimited Pile Locations (Corners & Cul d' sacs Love this) | x | x | x | ||
| Multi-Season Subscription Option (Guaranteed Multi-Year rates) | x | ||||
| Concierge' Personal Manager (Live voice 24/7) | x | ||||
| 24/7 HOA BOD Hotline# (HOA Board Member questions) | x | ||||
| 24/7 HOA Residents Dedicated Email Hotline (Same day replies) | x | ||||
| HOA Specified Advance Schedule Alerts (You specify how far in advance) | x | ||||
| Snow Plan Priority (You go to the front of the line when snow is in the forecast) | x | ||||
| Scheduled Bonus Passes (You get more passes after Fall program is complete for everyone else) | x | ||||
| Scheduled Spring Passes (You tell us when you want your Spring Passes) | x | ||||
| Bonus Spring Pass (2 Spring Passes/ Double what anyone else receives) | x | ||||
| * Early Bird Special / All Subscription rates are contingent on Program Subsidy / Current St Joe County Subsidy Agreement through 2029 Season. | |||||
| ** Discounted Group Subscription rates based on specific group subscription factors. | |||||
| *** WARNING - Subscribers using contractors that dump in non-licensed sites / or without permission may be liable for site cleanup if contractor fails to remediate. | |||||
| **** All service is weather permitting / Standard Terms & Conditions apply at time of purchase. | |||||
| ***** PLUS+ is for Individual Subscribers at added cost with many services like an HOA. | |||||
| NSMR No Subscription Marker Requirement due to 100% community participation. | |||||
See "Clean Air Club" Tab for the lowest price and automatic renewal
Scheduling requires a minimum of 10 days - Mid Pass subscribers are not guaranteed service until the following pass
Family, Friends and Neighbors !
Refer Family/Friends/Neighbors now and get an Extra Pass when they name you as the referral!
St Joseph County Board of Commissioner Subsidized Leaf Collection Program
Five (5) Pass Program - By far BEST VALUE for Leaf Collection!!!
Select "Subscribe Now!" below to see the 4 Standard Subscription Options
For any questions, please visit our FAQ page
or
email us at cs@stjoecountyrecycling.com
Call Center open Now for Questions 10a - 3p Mon - Thurs
Subscription variables
1. Subscription Date - Sooner = Lower cost = Best Price = Clean Air Club Subscriptions
2. HOA Subscriptions - Low cost Exclusive Benefits (Unlimited + Snow Plan Priority + No Subscription Markers) Deadline January 30th for Lowest HOA pricing.
3. NEW Clean Air Club Loyalty Subscribers are Guaranteed to receive the lowest indiviual subscription cost available. See Clean Air Club Subscriptions for all the details.
4. Measured historical volume - Rate based on previous measured volume for your address if you have a lot of leaves. PLUS+ Subscription is your Best Deal
5. Weather permitting - No refunds for any reason including passes not available due to weather and/or previously completed passes
All passes are per the public website schedule for standard subscriptions. Every pass counts as a pass for every subscriber whether you have leaves at the curb or not. Standard subscriptions include the first four passes of the fall beginning with 1st pass beginning the third Monday in October. Some trees species drop early and some will drop late. You may not have leaves down during the 1st/2nd pass but the program is designed for all subscribers with every tree species regardless of when they choose to drop their leaves. All subscribers receive a free Spring pass to collect any leaves that remain. PLUS+ subscribers receive unlimited passes until your leaves are collected, weather permitting. Spring Pass is scheduled for third Monday in May or sooner as weather permits.
Subscribers signing up mid pass and/or after completed passes receive remaining passes only, weather permitting and no refunds of any kind are provided for any reason. If you waited until after the program began to subscribe, normally all of your leaves are now wet and hard to collect because you waited too long and require 4x's longer to collect. You can save a lot of money by subscribing during the Early Bird Subscription Sale in March. Watch this website for up to a 50% Discount during Early Bird Sales. If you sign up after August 1st, Subscription markers are limited but we will still pick up your leaves.
You are guaranteed collection contingent on following all program rules as noted on this website and per the terms of service agreed to at the time that you became a paid subscriber. No refunds of any kind at any time for any reason. Duplicate subscriptions are not refunded. They are applied to next season's subscription.
Early Bird Subscription Sales
Save up to 50% on your subscription and ensure you are routed before the 1st Pass is in progress. Early Bird Subscriptions go on sale February 14th. All subcribers will receive reminder notices in Jan/Feb. Subscription process requires up to 10 days to route new subscribers and deliver Subscription Markers. To ensure you receive all available collection passes don't wait till the fall to subscribe. Sign up during the Early Bird sale in the spring to receive a huge discount and ensure you receive all the program communication year round. Save even more and receive exclusive HOA benefits not available through a standard subscription by applying before January 30th for your Group/HOA. Renew automatically at the lowest rate every year by subscribing to the Clean Air Club. Your Subscription renews automatically every year and you do not have to compete with other residents for the Limited Early Bird Subscriptions.
Late Subscribers
Subscribers signing up mid pass will NOT receive that pass if status map shows your zone completed within 10 days of payment. Subscription date based on day your Township is highlighted active and day your address is routed NOT the day you paid. This is why it is so important to sign up during the Early Bird period every Spring.
Guaranteed Collection System (GCS)
The Guaranteed Collection System aka Subscriber ID Program requires that any/all subscribers maintain a St Joe County Leaf Program Subscriber Marker to identify subscriber addresses. Markers identify subscribers and make it easy for vac crews to identify subscribers. The marker location will be identified with photodegradeable paint at the base of the marker and at the curb to identify your subscription. HOA Subscribers eliminate marker requirement when all participate. Markers will only be in your yard for the fall program. Markers are installed during the first pass and may be removed after the fourth pass. Markers should be recycled and placed in your yard prior to Spring pass.
Weather Permitting
All passes are weather permitting and no refunds of any kind will be issued if weather does not permit all passes. Leaves are 400% harder and longer to collect when snowy, wet and composted. All remaining leaves will be collected during Spring pass assuming conforming piles. Passes completed in your area within 10 days of your payment date are considered complete.
NO REFUNDS ARE ISSUED AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON
Subscriptions are non-transferable to other persons or addresses. IF you duplicate a subscription the credit amount will be available for future service but no refunds will be issued under any circumstances at any time for any reason.
Subscription sharing will not be tolerated. If you share your subscription you will be permanently banned from the program. It's cheating your neighbors that pay their fair share. If you place a sign in your yard hoping you can steal service and do not pay for the subscription you will be permanently banned from the program.
Spring Pass Registration
Closed April 10th
All Residents had to register to receive a Spring pass between March 1st and April 10th. Spring Pass collection Starts April 16th and will take 3 to 5 weeks to complete.
All third pass registered addresses will be collected weather permitting, after St. Joseph County Snow Plan Priority Listed subdivisions have been collected.
Second Pass completed 11/29 was the First Pass for Registered addresses
If you registered prior to the Oct 23rd Pass deadline for the first registered address pass that was completed with the second pass subdivisions and you think you may have been missed, just email cs@greenworldglobal your registration confirmation email reply you received and were instructed to retain for verification purposes. (See image below)
All confirmation email replies are automated with
the day/time stamp generated.
Upon receipt of your automated
confirmation customer service will verify the following:
1. Date/Time stamp was prior to registration deadline of October 23rd.2. Your address did not receive a doorhanger for non-conformances preventing collection.
3. Your leaf pile was at the curb when scouts came through your neighborhood and not raked out after.
After Customer Service verifies these three items, you will be notified
that a vac crew will return to your address for a collection.