COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With an infusion of $2.7M from the City’s reserves, Mayor John Suthers on Monday announced the launch of “Keep It Clean COS,” a comprehensive initiative aimed at reducing litter in Colorado Springs.
“I don’t have many obsessions that I admit to, but I freely admit I have an obsessive dislike for litter,” said Suthers. “Today we’re asking our city to join us in this obsession, and I’m pleased to announce a comprehensive new approach to addressing the problem of litter in our community.”
The program has several components. First, the $2.7M will go to purchase new street sweepers and vacuum trucks, and to add manpower to remove trash from medians, streets and other public rights of way. Second, the city is challenging businesses and private citizens to clean up their own property, whether residential or commercial. Finally, Suthers announced a new citywide award. The “Keep It Clean COS Spirit of the Springs Award” will be given annually in the fall to a resident or volunteer community group that has made a significant contribution to helping keep Colorado Springs clean.
To celebrate the pending arrival of the new street sweepers, the City launched a “name the street sweeper” promotion for one of the new sweepers. Residents are invited to submit names for consideration at the campaign website, www.coloradosprings.gov/keepitclean. The selected name will be announced in May.
The campaign website also features a nomination form for the new award, a list of community events for volunteers, a function for reporting trash in the city (via the GoCOS app), a downloadable toolkit and registration form for groups to promote their clean up events, and more.
The City released a PSA on the initiative featuring Mayor Suthers today. It is available here.