Environmental Services / Forestry

Yard Waste Site

Refuse and Recycling

Forestry

Emerald Ash Borer

Tree Workers (must be Licensed)

If you need assistance caring for your trees and are thinking of hiring a contractor, we encourage you to check with the City before hiring someone. Only tree workers who have City licenses area allowed to operate in the community.  This licensing procedure involves providing proof of insurance and bonding in order to protect our citizens. If you hire an unlicensed contractor you may have no recourse should you need it.

Because of the high influx of branches and trees the City now has an annual disposal fee of $545 for Tree Workers wishing to access and dispose of branches and trees at the yard waste site located at 1128 Swift Street.  Residents who haul their own trees to the site may still access the site under their residential access pass for no additional charge. Tree Workers wishing to have additional vehicles access the disposal site may purchase stickers for $5 and can be obtained and paid for at the same time as registering for your annual Tree Workers License at the Community Development Department located at 227 South Front Street. Please call 507-934-0661 before hiring a contractor to verify that your tree worker is licensed!

Licensed Tree Workers

Plantings That Are Allowed

  1. Small Trees
  2. Medium Trees
  3. Large Trees

A "small tree" is any plant material that will not grow to a height exceeding thirty feet. Acceptable small trees include:

  • Amur Choke Cherry
  • Amur Crab Apple
  • Amur Maple 
  • Canada Red Cherry
  • Flame Crab Apple
  • Ironwood (*DNR Tree)
  • Japanese Tree Lilac
  • Radiant Crab Apple
  • Red Splendor Crab Apple
  • Russian Olive
  • Snowy Mountain Ash 

Plantings That Are Not Allowed

Plantings which are not allowed anywhere in the City include:

  1. Planting medium and large trees under or within ten level feet of any overhead utility wire, over or within ten lateral feet of any underground water line, sewer line, electric transmission line, or other utility line or pole
  2. Planting any species of tree on public property or right-of-ways within the City unless authorization has been obtained from the City Forester
  3. Planting the following species:
    • Small: Cottonwood, Box Elder, Poplars
    • Medium: Soft Maple, Silver Maple, Willows
    • Large: Black Locust

Care of Trees on Boulevards

The City shall prune, maintain, and remove boulevard trees as may be necessary to ensure public safety, public access, or to preserve or enhance the symmetry and beauty of such public grounds.

Care of Trees on Private Property

Every owner or property abutting on any street shall trim, cut, and otherwise maintain all trees and shrubs from the line of such property nearest to such street to the center of such street in such a manner that the lowest branch of such trees shall not be less than eight feet above the sidewalk and at least fourteen feet above the street. In addition they will otherwise keep all trees, branches, and shrubs trimmed and cut so as to provide clear site distance to traffic signs and not interfere with persons or their safety, using the streets or other public property. Such person shall remove the dead or diseased branches or limbs or trees which are or may become hazardous to the public use of such right-of-way.

Refuse & Recycling

Collection

Refuse is collected weekly.

Recycling is collected every other week.  Please see the Recycling Pickup Calendar for pickup weeks.

Links