Goal 8

Introduction:
At the neighborhood charette, Patterson Park neighbors identified several relevant aspects of cleanliness that should guide our goals and solutions for improving neighborhood cleanliness. Two of the primary concerns were littering and trash. Street and alley litter is primarily caused by individuals throwing their trash into the street or alley instead of placing it in an appropriate area for collection. This is often compounded by business fliers that and carry-out containers.

Trash problems often result from individuals and businesses that fail to secure their trash in a tied bag and a trashcan with a fitting lid. Dumping of large items in alleys and adjacent vacant lots is also a problem, especially when residents call 311 and get a slow response.

Finally, it is important to keep the fronts of houses and businesses clean and tidy, such as weeding sidewalks and gardens and cleaning one's own front stoop and sidewalk. Everyone's home values improve when a street looks clean and cared for.

Strategies: Cleanliness
1. Improve Home Waste Disposal and Recycling: Reducing trash begins at home. When trash is not properly stored, set out on the wrong day, or placed in public trash receptacles there is good chance that dogs and rats will get into it and that the trash will scatter. Continued education, incentives, and enforcement is needed.
 * Work with block captains to disseminate information about trash and recycling rules, regulations, and enforcement.
 * Establish a regular schedule for neighborhood dumpsters. This will provide an opportunity for people to get rid of large items and reduce the incentive for leaving material in alleys and on the streets.
 * Create Neighborhood “Junk Nights”. As a supplement, or possible alternative to scheduling dumpsters a “junk night” could be arranged with the he Department of Public Works/Bureau of Solid Waste.  Residents would be told in advance that on a particular night they could leave large items in front of their homes for collection the following day.  Metal recyclers and other scavengers could then pick through the trash taking any useful items and the remainder would be collected by the city.
 * Coordinated more frequent street and alley cleaning. This is something PPNA already does for alleys; the program should be expanded and occur on a more regular basis.
 * Clean out and regularly maintain Storm Drains. Insert trash collectors in heaviest drain intake collectors and provide for neighborhood disposal

2. Improve the look of the neighborhood Well kept buildings and sidewalks project an image that residents care about their neighborhood. In addition to reducing trash and litter, improving the sidewalks and fronts of houses will reduce trash and littering.
 * Improve the look and maintenance of sidewalks. Broken sidewalks need to be fixed. Also, where loitering spots occur, such as the fronts of businesses, the width of the sidewalk should be “pinched” by large planters or other permanent structures that encourage people to move along.
 * Encourage residents and businesses to improve their front facades. Residents should be encouraged to do things like paint their front doors and window frames or power wash stains left by window air-conditioners to improve the appearance of their homes, A list of easy improvements that are not too costly should be developed and disseminated to residents.
 * Increase the Number of Public Receptacles: Identify the locations where new trash receptacles would best improve the litter situation. Additional receptacles for recycling only and/or dog poop only should be considered.