Roeland Park staff propose simplified leaf-collection map and $5,000 on-call contractor agreement

City staff recommended a simpler leaf-collection schedule for 2026–27 that would reduce routing complexity from 11 zones to three and consolidate pickups into two five-day windows. The goal is to provide larger pickup windows and operational redundancy while maintaining the same overall collection volume.

Staff also recommended an on-call agreement with Envision Lawn and Tree to guarantee backup capacity: "We're committing a minimum of $5,000 to Envision Lawn and Tree to be on call and be available," staff said. The city would prepay that commitment so the contractor would prioritize Roeland Park in the event the municipal leaf collector breaks or the crew falls behind.

Officials said the proposed schedule is more forgiving of weather and equipment failures and reduces the number of separate pickup windows residents must track. Questions from council members addressed when payment would occur, the program’s reliance on weekday collections (due to disposal rules), how residents report missed pickups, and whether larger zones increase equipment wear. Staff said the $5,000 is a new line item but that use of the contractor in a normal season would likely approximate that amount.