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5 compost site. In 200 I 4000 tons of leaves were deposited at the site, approximately half of those from residents who brought leaves there them- selves and the other halfby City crews. Resi- dents also use a number of other means of appro- priate leaf disposal. In the 2002 homeowner survey 20% said they arranged a special pick up with their garbage hauler, 11 % take leaves to a County compost site, 10% use the leaves them- selves by either putting them in their backyard compost or using them as mulch in their gardens and 6% chop the leaves up with a mower and leave them on their lawn. Roseville publicizes its Leaf Pickup Program and the Leaf Compost site through an annual mailing to homeowners. The mailing includes a reply card for resident to use to sign up for collection. Roseville also publicizes the program in the "Roseville Wrap" and on the City's website and through a video shown on Roseville Cable Channel 16. Program Cost According to Public Works Director Duane Schwartz the average annual cost of the Leaf Pickup Program over the past four years has been $78,000. Roseville has taken in roughly $23,000 a year in charges to homeowners who sign up for the program. This results in a charge to the City of approximately $55,000 a year in labor (Roseville uses 8 full time employees and 11-12 tempo- rary workers), postage, printing, administration and vehicle depreciation. Schwartz said that number does not take into account certain avoided costs. For instance if there were no Leaf Pickup Program City workers would need to clean leaves out of catch basins and gutters. He said the charge for that alone would be $40,000 a year. There would also be costs associated with pond cleanup and clearing plugged catch basins. He said most cities incur those costs. Some people who use the drop off site do mix brush in with the leaves. The City spends approxi- mately $5,000 a year to clean up the site and remove brush. By encouraging responsible disposal of leaves Roseville also minimizes the amount of leaves that build up in lakes and storm ponds. Decaying leaves use up oxygen in the water reducing the oxygen available for fish and other aquatic life. They also give off phosphorus that promotes weed and algae growth that further threatens water quality in these lakes and ponds. Roseville's 2002 Parks Natural Resource Management Plan addresses water quality issues in Langton Lake and Lake Bennett. Both lakes have elevated levels of phosphorus. The report recommends a treatment program as well as an abatement program in nearby residential areas. The plan calls for educating residents about water quality problems in the lakes and for setting up barriers to prevent yard runoff from reaching the lakes. 51