La Crosse’s alternate-side parking could start early, go for 24 hours and have nothing to do with snow

La Crosse’s alternate-side parking policy could start early this year, be enforced 24 hours and, likely, have nothing to do with snow.

The parking rule could begin Oct. 14 to take care of leaf pickup. It could also go into effect 24 hours a day until pickup is done.

Monday, the La Crosse board of public works approved a general leaf schedule, leaving the parking hour discussion open.

The idea is to keep the curbside open as much as possible, to shorten the period of street-sweeping for fallen leaves.

The current plan is to pick up leaves on weekdays for two weeks, starting Oct. 14, then take a week off, and do two more weeks beginning Nov. 4.

That replaces a six week schedule, which was presented to the board in March.

Ten city trucks would be used for leaf removal. Regular street crews would be joined by workers borrowed from the water, park and wastewater departments, along with the MTU.

Scott Neumeister of the city council said leaf removal should be a yearly budget item for La Crosse.

“Whether we like it or not, or if it’s a fun job or not, that’s part of what we offer, and we aren’t going to discontinue it,” Neumeister said.

Changes in leaf collection have been suggested, because of past problems in removing all the leaves before they became buried under snow.