Mayor launches 'Clean and Green by 2015' push ahead of Games
March 26, 2010
Meredith Macleod
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/742989
Mayor Fred Eisenberger wants Hamilton to be the cleanest city in Canada by the time the Pan Am Games come to town.
The mayor launched the Clean and Green by 2015 campaign yesterday at a workshop aimed at local businesses looking for ways to combat litter and graffiti.
"I think it's very doable. A lot of what we need to do is already under way," Eisenberger said.
"We have to set the bar high and use the Pan Am Games as an end date. We want to look our best."
Dan Rodrigues, chair of the clean city liaison committee, a volunteer group appointed by council, says there will be ways to measure Hamilton's cleanliness success.
The committee is an affiliate of the Keep America Beautiful campaign, which helps communities set benchmarks and strategies.
"This is something about community pride," Rodrigues said. "Hamiltonians really need something that they don't have to apologize for where they live."
That will translate into more investment and tourism, he said.
His group already tours the city doing audits of litter and graffiti in about 130 sectors. The worst areas are targeted for special attention by city staff and volunteers. This year, the committee found sections of Victoria Avenue North, Barton Street, Nash Road, the Linc and Fruitland Road the most littered.
Mayor Fred Eisenberger wants Hamilton to be the cleanest city in Canada by the time the Pan Am Games come to town.
The mayor launched the Clean and Green by 2015 campaign yesterday at a workshop aimed at local businesses looking for ways to combat litter and graffiti.
"I think it's very doable. A lot of what we need to do is already under way," Eisenberger said.
"We have to set the bar high and use the Pan Am Games as an end date. We want to look our best."
Dan Rodrigues, chair of the clean city liaison committee, a volunteer group appointed by council, says there will be ways to measure Hamilton's cleanliness success.
The committee is an affiliate of the Keep America Beautiful campaign, which helps communities set benchmarks and strategies.
"This is something about community pride," Rodrigues said. "Hamiltonians really need something that they don't have to apologize for where they live."
That will translate into more investment and tourism, he said.
His group already tours the city doing audits of litter and graffiti in about 130 sectors. The worst areas are targeted for special attention by city staff and volunteers. This year, the committee found sections of Victoria Avenue North, Barton Street, Nash Road, the Linc and Fruitland Road the most littered.
The city and police have made graffiti abatement one of their top priorities. A campaign was launched last May that focused on graffiti being a crime and urged people to call 905-546-CITY (2489) to report spray-paint vandalism.
Graffiti calls more than doubled after the campaign.
It costs the city close to $3 million a year to clean up litter and graffiti, says Beth Goodger, senior director of operations and waste management in the public works department.
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