Fresno rolls out expanded green-waste pickup for backyard trees

Fresno's Department of Public Utilities will begin offering monthly at-the-curb pickup of large tree trimmings for every single-family residential customer starting November 1, replacing a call-in system that residents have long complained is confusing. Under the new schedule, each of Fresno's six sanitation routes will have one designated week per month when residents can leave up to four cubic yards of loose branches and trimmings at the curb without calling in advance. "This is one of those quality-of-life things people ask us about constantly," Public Utilities director Brock Buche said. "You shouldn't have to navigate a phone tree to get your palm fronds picked up." Detailed route maps and pickup weeks are posted at fresno.gov/publicutilities. Customers with mobility limitations can still request special pickups by calling 3-1-1.