Adopt-A-Spot relaunch aims to remove 400,000 pounds of trash from city streets | Opinion

Litter and blight are consistently one of the top concerns of residents in Cincinnati and for good reason. Whether it’s on our highway exits, in our parks or in our own neighborhood streets, litter in the public right of way just seems to be getting worse. It’s not only an eyesore and, frankly, embarrassing for our Queen City, but its continued presence only encourages more bad behavior. Through our Department of Public Services and volunteers, thousands of pounds of trash are picked up each year. But it barely seems to make a dent in it.

That’s why we’re bringing back Adopt-A-Spot. Adopt-A-Spot is a program launched years ago in Cincinnati, but just like with caring for the spots themselves it requires oversight and management. That fell by the wayside years ago, but now we’re accompanying it with the resources necessary to make it an effective program.

Through a public-private partnership – a private donor, funding in the recently passed city of Cincinnati budget and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB) – we are relaunching Adopt-A-Spot. Adopt-A-Spot invites individuals, organized groups and businesses to adopt a spot that is in the public right of way that needs some "extra care."

Here’s how it works:

● Individuals, organizations or businesses can adopt an area together or by themselves.

● They commit to cleaning the area at least once per month and share results with KCB. Some high-litter spots will clearly need more care than others.

● This could include cleaning littered curbs, sidewalks or vacant public lots or removing weeds and signs from utility poles or reporting graffiti. It could also include planting flowers or plants.

● Spots could be in your neighborhood or KCB can provide a high-litter location that needs that extra care.

● KCB provides all the supplies and an official sign recognizing your efforts so it’s turnkey.

Adopt-A-Spot is perfect for committed individuals but also groups. That could include:

● Community Councils – we invite community councils to designate a captain to help coordinate neighborhood Adopt-A-Spot efforts.

● Private businesses – whether it’s adjacent to your business or another spot, Adopt-A-Spot demonstrates commitment to the community.

● Non-profits – whether you’re a religious institution, such as a church, or a civic organization, such as the VFW or Girl Scouts, Adopt-A-Spot is a way to further the mission of a non-profit.

● Schools – whether you’re a university, primary or secondary school, adopting a spot around the school builds pride in students and the institution. Conversely, a littered environment detracts from it being a positive environment that is conducive to learning.

KCB will quarterback Adopt-A-Spot and has a public dashboard that will allow you to see Adopt-A-Spot locations. KCB is now accepting new spot captains, so if you have questions or want to participate, then reach out to Madison Lentz, Adopt-A-Spot coordinator at 513-352-4383 or Madison@keepcincinnatibeautiful.org. The goal to remove an additional 400,000 pounds of trash from our streets on top of the 800,000 pounds that KCB removes through its existing volunteer and corporate clean-up program.

No one solution will make Cincinnati cleaner. It will take this effort, the continued great work of city of Cincinnati’s Department of Public Services dedicated employees, as well as behavior change including KCB’s focus on the "Don’t Trash the Nati" campaign.

Other cities have shown it’s possible to deliver results from Adopt-A-Spot. Indianapolis has 1,000 block captains who pick up thousands of pounds of trash each year on over 230 miles of Indy blocks. There’s no reason why we can’t do that in Cincinnati. All of us can play a part in restoring the shine in our Queen City crown. We invite citizens and organizations in Cincinnati to be a part of doing just that with Adopt-A-Spot.

Mark Jeffreys is a Cincinnati City Councilman. Jonathan Adee is the executive director Keep Cincinnati Beautiful.