By RYLEE BURD
Tiger Media Network
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Fall in Hays doesn’t just mean cooler weather and changing leaves — it also means it’s time for the Annual Fall Cleanup, a much-anticipated service provided by the City of Hays. The event is scheduled to begin the week of October 20, and it gives residents a rare opportunity to dispose of large, bulky, or excess waste items that wouldn’t normally be picked up during regular trash service.
The cleanup has become a key part of city operations and community engagement, and while the earliest known records date back to 2000, officials believe the event may have started even earlier.
“This popular city-wide service provides City of Hays residential refuse customers with an opportunity to dispose of bulky items, excess refuse, and other large materials not collected during the regular weekly trash service,” said Joe Billinger, solid waste superintendent for the City of Hays.
The event is open to residential refuse customers only, and is not available for commercial properties or apartment complexes.
The cleanup is always scheduled during mid-to-late October — a deliberate choice, according to Billinger.
By this time of year, most major maintenance and street projects have been completed, and the city’s workload begins to taper off. In addition, fall weather tends to be more favorable for outdoor labor compared to unpredictable spring rains or intense summer heat.
“The early to mid-Fall time period allows staff to get through the busy spring and summer season when there is a lot going on with street maintenance, utility maintenance, and park maintenance,” Billinger said. “Typically, the growing season is coming to an end and most major street projects are closing out, therefore allowing staff time for the cleanup event.”
Although the event only spans a single week on the calendar, planning for the Fall Cleanup begins months in advance. Coordinating the staff, equipment, and communication required to pull it off is a massive undertaking.
Approximately 55 city employees from multiple departments are involved in the operation, including Public Works, Parks, Water Resources, and Airport Maintenance. All must balance the cleanup effort with their regular responsibilities.
“Even while Fall Cleanup is going on, normal City operations still must get accomplished,” Billinger said. “Crew sizes are minimal, so one or two people being out for one reason or another — illness, appointments, etc. — can create manpower shortages.”
To execute the cleanup, crews utilize a wide array of equipment: dump trucks, flatbed trailers, backhoes, loaders, skid steers, tree chippers, and more. The city is divided into four quadrants, each assigned to a dedicated cleanup crew. Two additional crews focus specifically on tree limb collection citywide.
Typically, it takes five to seven working days to complete cleanup across the entire city — weather permitting.
According to Billinger, success is measured in a simple but demanding way: every item put out by eligible households must be picked up. And most years, that goal is met.
While the city does not track exact participation numbers, Billinger notes that the majority of Hays residential refuse customers take advantage of the service.
“Customer participation levels have held steady the last several years,” he said.
This year, the City has implemented a new policy aimed at improving the overall appearance of neighborhoods during the cleanup period. Residents have been asked not to place items out before Friday, October 17, just days before the scheduled start date.
“If items are placed out weeks before the cleanup event, they tend to get scattered from wind as well as ‘treasure hunters’ rummaging through piles,” said Billinger. “This makes for unsightly properties and a general nuisance until the items get picked up.”
By enforcing this new guideline, city officials hope to avoid messes and maintain curb appeal during the weeks leading up to the event.
To ensure that residents are informed and prepared, the city relies on a broad communication strategy, utilizing both traditional and digital media.
Information about the Fall Cleanup is distributed through the City of Hays website, as well as the city’s official Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram accounts. Notices are also shared with local media outlets.
“We work through the City Public Relations Manager to make sure the word gets out across many different platforms,” said Billinger.
No event of this scale is without its hurdles. Staffing availability and equipment breakdowns can throw schedules off balance. Weather is also a consistent wildcard — and in past years, it has created particularly memorable moments.
“Snowfall several years ago made an already challenging task even more so,” Billinger said. “However, it still got completed.”
Even rain can slow down crews, soaking items left curbside and turning alleys into muddy obstacles for workers and vehicles alike.
Despite these obstacles, the City of Hays continues to ensure that the Fall Cleanup remains a valuable, consistent service — one that reflects a broader commitment to community upkeep, efficiency, and public service.
Hays residents who are eligible for city trash service are encouraged to take part by reviewing the list of acceptable and prohibited items and by following the updated curbside placement guidelines.
Full details, including maps, preparation tips, and a list of items that can or cannot be collected can be found here www.haysusa.com/303/Annual-Fall-Cleanup
Whether it’s old furniture, worn-out mattresses, or tree limbs piled high, the City of Hays is ready once again to help residents clean houses and clean up the community.