Photo submitted to Times Observer The City of Warren compost pile is available at Betts Park. City residents are encouraged to pick up some compost for personal use at no charge.

The City of Warren compost program has returned for a second year.

City crews place hundreds of cubic yards of compost at Betts Park on Tuesday.

“This comes from all the leaves that we collect during leaf season, all the brush and debris that we chip, and all the yard waste that we collect at the sewer treatment plant,” Public Works Superintendent Joe Reinke said.

City residents are welcome to pick some up for personal use at no charge.

There is a sign at the site near the tennis courts that indicates the rules.

“The rules are pretty simple,” Reinke said. “It’s open to city residents. We ask that residents be courteous, take their turn, try not to drive on the grass.”

The site is only open from dawn to dusk, he said.

Shovels and wheelbarrows are welcome. Heavy loading equipment is not. “Hand-loading only,” Reinke said.

And a city employee will check identification “to make sure that only city residents are taking compost,” Reinke said.