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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-06-024 - Community Cleanliness Strategy Progress Report ) ~ Community Services ~ Report To: Date of Meeting: Submitted By: Prepared By: Ward(s) Involved: Date of Report: Report No.: Subject: Community Services Committee March 6, 2006 Ken Currier, Director of Operations Colleen Allen, Marketing & Communications Associate, CSD Ken Currier, Director of Operations Jo-Ann Hutchison, Facilitator, Volunteer Resources & Community Engagement, CSD Shayne Turner, Director of Enforcement, Corporate Services Kathleen Woodcock, Special Projects Officer, CSD All February 21, 2006 CSD-06-024 COMMUNITY CLEANLINESS STRATEGY PROGRESS REPORT RECOMMENDATION: For information and discussion. BACKGROUND: An interdepartmental project team was formed in the fall of 2004 to develop a community cleanliness strategy for the City of Kitchener. This strategy was anticipated to build on current initiatives, streamline processes and engage the community through communication and participation. REPORT: Proaress to date The project team began by assembling an inventory of current activities and identified linkages between existing activities/programs. The inventory of activities identified six (6) groupings, namely: Group A - city-community collaborative efforts, e.g., Festival of Neighbourhoods, Earth Week Group B - programs framed by City Council and supported with City-based resources, e.g., community gardens, adopt-a-road Group C - ongoing staff responsibilities, e.g., street cleaning, seasonal maintenance Group 0 - initiatives of community groups, e.g., KW Beautification Committee, Working Centre Group E - government initiatives that City of Kitchener is involved in or has partner status, e.g., Litter Reduction Task Force Group F - Region of Waterloo initiatives, e.g., waste management program Report No. CSD-06-024 Please refer to Appendix A, attached to this report, for a detailed listing of the current activities/programs in the inventory. The project team compiled an annual schedule of ongoing activities. This compilation revealed that the City of Kitchener is definitely engaged in community cleanliness activities on an almost constant basis, either in a planning capacity or implementation role. In their research, the project team found some creative initiatives and programs in other municipalities that included the use of a non-profit committee to champion community cleanliness efforts, school litter patrols, summer litter student programs, incentive programs, litter hot lines, and a variety of partner opportunities with the community. The project team supports further investigation of these and other initiatives through an internal staff coordination committee as suggested below. Feedback Received and Resoonses During a Shared Agenda meeting in December 2005, staff received feedback regarding specific aspects of community cleanliness. The following provides information on these initiatives as raised by Council. Property Standards The By-law Enforcement Division is currently undertaking a full scale review of the City's Property Standards By-law. The goal of the review is to ensure that the By-law accurately reflects the needs of a growing urban centre such as Kitchener and to ensure that it contains the tools to address the particularly problematic situations being experienced. Typically, the City's approach with regard to property standards enforcement has been primarily reactionary. There have been some exceptions relating to special concerns identified. As part of the review currently underway, staff are looking to develop a template or protocol that will serve as a tool to address issues that have arisen. In addition, the current process to deal with long standing vacant buildings will be reviewed to determine if any changes are appropriate. Any recommendations coming out of this review will be presented to Council prior to the summer break. Gateway Signage and Entrance Features Staff has been involved in the Ministry of Transportation's plans to reconstruct Highway 401 in the vicinity of Highway 8 to Highway 97. These plans will include selecting suitable locations for Kitchener signage along the 401 corridor that will enhance the City's presence and create an appealing entrance feature utilizing the symbolic Clock Tower logo. As current practice, many subdivision entrances are enhanced by developer built features presented to beautify the neighbourhoods. Once subdivisions have been built out, these features are turned over to the City to maintain. Grass Cutting Staff provides services to maintain grass cutting along the many major arterial roads that lead into our city. Attention is given to several of the unique areas in the city by planting flower beds and trees in addition to maintaining the grass cutting. For example, Highway 8 near Deer Ridge Drive has a unique naturalized prairie garden boulevard theme. Homer Watson Boulevard near Blockline Road includes rose plantings adjacent to the sound walls. Grass cutting activities also include the pick up of grass clippings left behind by cutting equipment along roadways. This is especially noticeable during the spring growth flush seasons. Report No. CSD-06-024 Adopt a Road Program This program, in collaboration with the Region of Waterloo Adopt-A-Road program, offers volunteer groups the opportunity to collect litter along municipal and regional roads. There are formal road adoptions which display the name of the volunteer group alongside the roadway. As well, there are opportunities for groups to clean up a roadway for a specific day usually combined with Earth Week activities. Staff provide volunteer groups with gloves and trash bags for the litter cleanup days and collect the bagged trash from designated locations for disposal. Working closely with the Region, training is provided to the volunteer groups to ensure safety when working along roadways. Graffiti Program Graffiti identification and removal is managed by Operations staff. Locations are identified through watchful staff members, public input and police connections. The web-based graffiti reporting forms and the graffiti hotline are monitored daily by staff. All locations are documented and work orders are issued to staff for prompt investigation. Many of the graffiti occurrences are located on structures that are owned by other agencies. They are notified once investigation has identified the proper owner. During 2005 we responded to approximately 400 occurrences for graffiti removal. Highway Utter Programs To complement our litter reduction programs, we require the assistance of the Ministry of Transportation. Many of the local roads that are patrolled for litter collection are adjacent to Ministry highways. These roadways, which are frequently traveled, intersect with municipal roadways and at the intersections heavy concentrations of debris accumulate. By working together through complementary programs we can ensure litter is removed at these locations. Walkway Cleanliness and Safety Walkway cleanliness is part of the overall litter reduction program which includes litter pickup, brush trimming and graffiti removal from over 500 walkways across the city. Walkways are an integral component of the sidewalk system allowing for movement of residents from one neighbourhood to another and connecting schools, trails and open spaces. We are in the process of evaluating all walkways to develop a priority for repairs, replacement or abandonment based on the condition and general intended use of the walkway, combined with an assessment of the overall safety and vandalism prevalent in certain 10cations.When this evaluation is complete, recommendations will be presented. Movina Forward The compilation of the inventory and annual schedule and the initial research of other municipal programs and/or initiatives are the first steps toward a community cleanliness strategy. Next steps will position the City to approach community cleanliness from a holistic, inclusive perspective. The project team suggests that the City of Kitchener continue with the current initiatives and activities as important components of an emerging strategy. As well, the following phased actions will assist the City in engaging the community in these initiatives and creating awareness that cleanliness is a responsibility for all: 1) create an internal staff group (Coordination Committee) from various departments to monitor, track and report regularly on the achievements, successes and challenges inherent in each activity (within six months); Report No. CSD-06-024 2) create a steering committee of staff and volunteers that coordinate, communicate and explore collaborations between various events and investigate ways to increase community participation in cleanliness efforts (within six months); 3) develop evaluation strategies that provide measurement criteria specific to the outcome(s) of each initiative (within six months); 4) create a centralized access point for the public to get information about community cleanliness initiatives or report problems (within one year); 5) review feasibility of new or re-energizing initiatives/groups that would address community cleanliness issues and opportunities (within two years). FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: It is anticipated that any costs associated directly with development of projects to address community cleanliness will be absorbed by the respective departments within 2006 budget parameters as approved by Council. Further initiatives and their expenses will be evaluated and should additional funding be required staff will identify costs and present at future budget discussions. COMMUNICATIONS: The communications strategy for the inventory identifies methods for communicating the Corporation's activities to staff and the pubic. Specific plans will be developed as appropriate for each group and/or project, based on their unique goal, objectives and needs. CONCLUSION: A community cleanliness strategy will assist the City of Kitchener in their efforts to increase awareness of litter reduction as a responsibility for all, create community buy-in for a litter campaign through a variety of opportunities to participate, publicize the benefits of a clean city, and continue to explore partnerships and joint ventures that will contribute to a reputation of cleanliness within Kitchener that will benefit the Corporation and all citizens. Ken Currier, Director of Operations AP Report No. CSD-06-024 Appendix A, Inventory of Current Activities Group A (city/community collaboration) · Community Parks Week . Earth Week/Earth Day . Kitchener In Bloom · Neighbourhood clean up's · Festival of Neighbourhoods · Sports groups clean up's · Friends of Kitchener's Natural Areas Group B (corporate programs) · Adopt-A-Road · Adopt-A-Park · Community gardens . Winter rinks Group C (ongoing staff responsibilities) Graffiti busters (Bramm St.) By-law Enforcement (Trail Riders, animal waste by-laws, poster removal initiatives) Water courses Streets (curb to curb) Streets (property line to property line) Other City facilities Summer play grounds Breithaupt Day camps, Eco Camp Outdoor pools Spring clean up Seasonal maintenance Special Event clean up crews Downtown enhanced service/bulk bins (contract expires in 2009) Group D (not-for-profit groups) · KW Beautification Committee · RAISE Home Support · House of Friendship · Working Centre · Community Project Day (Volunteer Action Centre) Group E (partnerships) · Litter Reduction Task Force (2003) · Litter Bug Ambassador Program Group F (Regional Municipality of Waterloo) · Garbage pick up · Land fill tours · Education initiatives · Compost days · Rain barrel distribution · Recycling and yard waste pick up, etc.