The city's three far east end councillors have joined forces with Waste Services Inc. (WSI) to to help get rid of residential yard waste following a litany of complaints over a budgetary decision to end summer collection.

Orléans Ward Coun. Herb Kreling says he's received over 100 phone calls and e-mails from upset residents irate over their growing stacks of leaf and yard waste as they become aware of the reduced level of service.

"They're beyond being merely annoyed. They're genuinely upset and concerned over the situation," says the veteran city councillor.

The phone has also been ringing off the hook in the Innes Ward Coun. Rainer Bloess and Cumberland Ward Coun. Rob Jellett's offices as well.

Faced with the barrage of complaints the three councillors decided to approach WSI last week about accepting leaf and yard waste free of charge and providing drop off containers at the Blackburn Arena, the Orléans Recreation Complex and the Ray Friel Centre.

"WSI has been fantastic. They were really quick to jump on board," says Kreling.

The bins will be left at the three east end sites on July 24 and 31, Aug. 14 and 28, and Sept. 11 and 25 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The WSI facility at 3354 Navan Rd. will also be accepting yard waste free of charge during business hours on  Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The three councillors came up with the idea for an alternative program shortly after council voted down a motion that would have reinstated leaf and yard waste pick up for the duration of the summer. The motion didn't survive largely due to the fact that it was brought forward late Wednesday evening during the end of a gruelling 11 hour council meeting and nearly a third of the councillors had already left the building. The motion lost on a 7-7 tie.

The decision to end summer leaf and yard waste pick-up was made during this year's budget deliberations in an effort to save about $600,000. The cost of the alternative drop off program, which will be far less, will be covered jointly by all three councillors.

Kreling admits that if Ottawa residents stockpile their leaf and yard waste over the summer rather than try to compost it, there will be very little savings if any as the city tries to deal with types of tonnage that can be expected to result when the pickup program resumes in October.

Fellow "mulch-keteer" Rainer Bloess also admits that the councillors alternative idea to provide drop off containers may be too good an idea if they're inundated with leaf and yard waste from outside the surrounding communities.

"That's always a concern but the more important thing is that our residents have a place to drop off their yard waste off or they can go out to Navan Road," says Bloess.

"We had to do something. People are getting p---ed off, especially if they're just finding out about the reduction in service now. When the snow was on the ground it sounded like a pretty good idea, but in hindsight it obviously wasn't a very wise decision."