The city has announced the return of the annual Spring Clean-up Program, set to begin Monday, April 13, offering residents an opportunity to dispose of yard waste and debris as part of a citywide collection effort.

The program will focus on collecting seasonal outdoor materials such as leaves, hedge and brush clippings, as well as tree limbs and branches.

Proper sorting is required to participate in the program. Leaves must be piled separately and not mixed with other debris, while lawn refuse should be placed in containers such as plastic bags or cardboard boxes. Tree limbs and branches must also be stacked separately with cut ends facing the same direction to assist collection crews.

City guidelines note that certain materials including stones, bricks, concrete, dirt, and lumber will not be accepted during the program.

Residents are asked to place items near the curb or at the edge of pavement, avoiding the street itself, and to have materials set out no later than 7:00 am on their scheduled collection day. It is recommended that items be put out as close to the assigned date as possible.

This is the only clean-up collection program that the city provides each year and encourages residents to follow instructions carefully to help control rising service costs. While crews will follow a set schedule, officials cautioned that unforeseen circumstances could lead to delays.

The clean-up will proceed through different sections of the city over a two-week period:

Monday, April 13: East City limits to Parker Street

Tuesday, April 14: Parker Street to Irvine Street

Wednesday, April 15: Irvine Street to Prospect Street

Thursday, April 16: West of Prospect Street, South of East Third Avenue

Friday, April 17: East Third Avenue to Frank Street

Monday, April 20: Frank Street to Connecticut Avenue

Tuesday, April 21: Connecticut Avenue to Quaker Hill Road

Wednesday, April 22: Water Street to Hazel Street

Thursday, April 23: Hazel Street to West City limits

Friday, April 24: Entire area south of the Allegheny River