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It is interesting to
note that KAB has recognized that there are more problems
that need to be addressed than just litter.
The 2008
survey will include some other parameters, which will be
optional, such as graffiti, junk vehicles, illegal dumps
and illegal signs in the right of way.
You
will note that the City’s Average Score for 2006 and
2007 is the same. However,
seven of the City Council District scores actually
increased, meaning they had more litter than before.
The remaining five City Council District Scores
either remained the same as 2006 or their scores
decreased, meaning they had less litter than before.
During the data
gathering trips this year, we discovered and reported five
illegally placed bus stop
benches, with advertisements pasted on them, at bus stops.
Those benches will be picked up by the Public Works
Department.
Although not on the Data
Survey List for either Team, volunteers noticed two
locations noteworthy for their egregious trash: a section
of Marietta Road in Council District 9 and Brown’s Mill
Road in Council District 12.
The stretch of Memorial
Drive that we cleaned up last year during the Great
American Cleanup was very much like it was before we
cleaned it up. Education
on Litter Abatement is obviously needed in that area.
Perhaps we can work on that as well as motivating
the neighborhood to keep their roads and streets clean.
The YMCA properties along this street are still
immaculately clean, and hopefully we can get them to lead
a “Keep it clean” initiative for this area.
KAtlB is working to
create a condensed version of the Governor’s Litter
Summit we attended August 29 and 30, 2006, in Atlanta.
We would like to offer a Mini Summit to members of
the City Council, Department Heads and others in city
government to help us with our Litter Abatement and
Education goals. We
were struck by the lack of participation by city officials
at this excellent state wide summit held in Atlanta.
Furthermore, we are concerned that litter abatement
and enforcement of the litter ordinance will suffer if
city officials do not receive the education that was
provided at the summit
We are presently engaged
in a fund raising program to provide trash receptacles for
city high schools and to produce an education piece that
will appeal to high school students, encouraging recycling
and litter abatement.
By far, the worst area
we saw is in District 3 in the English Avenue area on
Hollowell Parkway and Law Street, near Maddox Park.
Hopefully, during the City’s Earth Day Event, we
can get the tires
picked up as well as the garbage
that has been dumped into the creek at this
intersection. This is another area that needs education on litter abatement
and motivation of the local residents to keep their area
clean.
We noticed, too, that litter
still accumulates around MARTA bus stops, particularly
those in the right of way where there are no trash
receptacles. KAtlB
has an Advisory Board Member from MARTA, whom we have
asked to gather the appropriate MARTA officials for a
meeting with Solid Waste Services so we can solve this
litter problem.
And, even with the
Governor’s Litter Initiative in effect, litter is still
a big problem along
the rights of
way of expressways and their accompanying exit and
entrance ramps
We saw many
miscellaneous illegal signs; several “Mark Taylor for Governor”signs left over
from last fall’s campaign, the rest were real estate
related. We
saw one light pole covered with stapled on music industry
posters, but since this was midweek, the city had probably
torn down the ones left from the weekend.
Only one sign was repetitive; we contacted the
organization that put out the signs and they very quickly
removed the illegal ones.
KAtlB is working with Raines Carter and the
Environmental Court in the City of Atlanta judicial system
to enforce the city’s Sign Ordinance.
Graffiti was not as big a problem as we had anticipated. |
Measurability and accountability are hallmarks of Keep American Beautiful, Inc. (KAB). Therefore, they become the hallmarks of the KAB affiliates as well – Keep Atlanta Beautiful, Inc., is a KAB Affiliate. KAB has developed a new methodology for measuring litter, designed to make litter-prevention work easier and reported results more credible. The results of the Litter Index are intended to help quickly and reliably assess the litter situation in our city and to achieve long-term, sustainable results with litter abatement programs. Each KAB affiliate is required to perform the Litter Index annually and report the results to KAB to remain an affiliate “in good standing.” Keep Atlanta Beautiful, Inc. recently completed the
2007 Litter Index for the City of Atlanta and each of its City Council Districts.
