With residents calling piled-up leaves an “eyesore,” St. Charles officials said they’ll have to wait even longer for the city’s Leaf Collection Program services.

Even worse, the next yard waste collection is not supposed to happen until April – and it’s still not clear if or when conditions will allow for fall leaf pickup to be completed – even though it’s well into January.

The city said “persistent weather impacts” continuously delayed the scheduled Leaf Collection Program. The city’s contractor, Kramer Tree Specialists, is waiting for a string of better weather before services begin. The contractor needs up to 10 days of consistent favorable weather to complete the collection, according to a city post.

The city said they are “are still hoping for a good weather window to finish leaf collection.”

“Providing reliable services to our residents and businesses is a priority,” the city said in a post. “We know this is frustrating and appreciate your continued patience and cooperation as we work through persistent weather impacts to the program.”

The city’s public works department is monitoring future forecasts to notify the contractor when operations can begin.

Wet and freezing weather makes it difficult for the contractor’s machines to effectively pick up the leaf debris. For ideal conditions, the low daily temperature needs to be above freezing for at least a 10-day forecast.

The city first notified residents Dec. 3 that the leaf collection program was temporarily suspended.

The city’s final pickup for bagged leaves and yard waste occurred on Dec. 30. The contractor’s original estimated completion date for the entire city was Dec. 5 with services having begun in late October.

The program is designed to be six weeks long to account for different species of trees dropping their leaves, according to the city’s website.

The city charges households $62 a year for 11 collections, including three leaf collections and eight brush collections.

The city is providing updates for when leaf collection services restart on both their social media pages and the city’s website.