Program aims to make clean sweep of Cape

Cape Girardeau's public works director, Tim Gramling, recently unveiled plans for a new citywide maintenance program designed to aid cleanliness along main traffic thoroughfares.

Operation Clean Sweep is the city's latest undertaking in an effort to improve aesthetics in the city.

The program officially kicked off Friday when several crews of city maintenance workers began rounds to pick up litter along the city's right of way property, which is the focus of the program. There will be two more days in each of the coming months that crews will work to collect litter, clear weeds and perform other small maintenance projects as part of the program before the public works department performs a first evaluation.

The program has three components, Gramling said, the first of which is to encourage city employees to stay aware of care and cleanliness along the city's rights of way. A right of way is an area along streets, sidewalks and city properties the city owns and is responsible for maintaining. Gramling said he expects city employees to take it upon themselves to perform clean up if it is within their capabilities or report a need to be taken care of to the public works department.

The second component includes having city employees who are working in locations away from the public works department to take an extra step to observe whether work is needed in an area before they leave. Employees would, for example, take care of or record maintenance needed in an area after the repair of a street.

The third component includes the use of three eight- to 12-person crews assigned to one of three sections of the city. The crews, as they were Friday, would make their way through an area picking up trash, spraying for and cutting weeds, painting where needed and taking note of any needed larger repairs or maintenance.

"What we are doing now hasn't really been a part of maintenance so far," Gramling said, but he expects the program to be permanent from now on.

A goal set by the city during the last two years has been to improve beautification and upkeep of property through several means -- a rental-unit inspection program approved by the city council last year and implemented in April is part of that effort, and was followed by a proposal for new ordinances to govern nuisances such as open display of junk, broken-down vehicles and graffiti. The city council is expected to hold a first vote on the nuisance ordinances soon.

"I think kind of the way we are looking at [Operation Clean Sweep] is that the city is saying we've got these issues and we'd like to get them addressed," Gramling told the city council Oct. 21. But until the program, the city itself did not have any operations dedicated to cleaning up, he said.

Mayor Harry Rediger agreed with the idea of the program and said the "best eyes" to keep a watch on the city's right-of-ways are already solid waste workers, who visit all streets twice a week, once for trash and once for recycling collection.

"I think this is a very needed program in our city," he said. "I think we have a considerable way to go along our right of way that leads to beautification and showing citizens that our city really cares."

As of now, no additional personnel needed to be hired to begin the program and no funding was required. Right-of-ways on city streets apart from those maintained by the Missouri Department of Transportation are included in the program.

For resident involvement in cleanliness and maintenance, Gramling said the city offers participation in an "adopt-a-street" program, in which cleanup activities may be arranged in specific areas, and citizens may report maintenance needs to the public works department by calling 339-6351.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

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401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.