LITTLE ELM – Individuals and organizations wishing to make a noticeable and visible difference in Little Elm now have the opportunity to do so by adopting a portion of a Little Elm street and maintaining its cleanliness, according to Director of Public Works Kevin Mattingly.
“We’re starting a program in Little Elm that has been in existence elsewhere for some time, so people are already aware of how it works. Ours will be similar in how it’s administered, but it will be unique in that it is another opportunity for Little Elm residents to show how much they care about their community,” he said.
The Adopt-a-Street program is another effort by the “Keep Little Elm Beautiful” campaign and is part of the Town’s Clean and Green initiative.
Adopting a street requires an application to be submitted for approval along with the name of an individual or representative of an organization who will take responsibility for the commitment. The individual or organization will then be assigned a stretch of road, usually about a mile in length, to clean up by picking up trash and debris.
“The program is designed to give individuals and groups a chance to make a visible impact on the environment and help reduce the costs associated with cleaning the streets. Picking up litter costs taxpayers in terms of direct labor expenses as well as the indirect costs associated with taking crews away from their primary duty to pick up garbage,” he added.
Groups or individuals who sign up for the program will be expected to commit for one year, and conduct their cleanups at least once a quarter. A sign designating the stretch of road as adopted by an organization or individual will be erected, following the first successful cleanup.
“All of the cleanup volunteers must sign an agreement that says they understand the rules of the program. And while we welcome the participation of young people, anyone under 18 must obtain the signature of their parent or guardian,” said Mattingly.
Groups and individuals who commit to the program must also pledge to actively participate annually in one of the various “Keep Little Elm Beautiful” clean ups throughout the year.
“The Town will supply the trash bags and high-visibility vests to volunteers, and will give a brief safety orientation prior to each cleanup,” he said.
Interested individuals and groups should contact Keep Little Elm Beautiful (KLEB) at kleb75068@yahoo.com or the Public Works Dept. at kmcmillan@littleelm.org or 972-377-5556.
