City-county partnership to address litter in major corridors

A one-year pilot partnership announced by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, Hamilton County commissioners Todd Portune and David Pepper, and Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis will address litter throughout the county’s major corridors, gateways and business districts.

The collaboration, which began yesterday, is based on the highly-successful model begun in Over-the-Rhine in 2006 and 2007.

Two crews of sheriff’s inmates and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful volunteers will clean designated areas on a two-week rotation, and the cleanup of Over-the-Rhine will be reinstated after a brief hiatus.

“It is our aim to have the 49 cities, villages and townships of Hamilton County to each be attractive, clean, safe and healthy places to live, to work and to enjoy,” says Todd Portune, president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners.

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful will coordinate the program and will work with community stakeholders on:

• In-class litter prevention programming for schoolchildren
• Graffiti prevention
• Adopt-a-Spot
• A “Keep Cincinnati Clean and Beautiful” awards competition
• Great American Cleanup and Make a Difference Day Cleanup events
• Public awareness through ‘Don’t Trash the ‘Nati’ and Project 180 Degrees Safe & Clean Neighborhoods campaigns

In Cincinnati, cleanup areas include Avondale, Corryville/CUF, Evanston, Madisonville, Northside, Over-the-Rhine, Walnut Hills/East Walnut Hills, West End, and Westwood/Price Hill.

The Hamilton County communities receiving cleanup details are Cheviot, Colerain Township, Delhi Township, Forest Park, Golf Manor, Green Township, Lincoln Heights and Mt. Healthy.

Financial support, totalling $120,000 in grants, comes from 3CDC, the City of Cincinnati Department of Public Services, and the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Media release