Mayor Durkan launches 'Clean Cities Initiative' to remove waste from Seattle parks
One week after Seattle neighborhood groups sent a letter to officials expressing concern over the "spiraling public health and public safety crisis" in Seattle's parks, Mayor Jenny Durkan has announced a new "Clean Cities Proposal" to address the garbage and waste building up at these public spaces.
The proposal, announced yesterday by the mayor's office, would use money within the current budget and new revenue to provide a "surge of cleaning efforts" in Seattle neighborhoods.
"Hearing from community members all over the city that more needs to be done to clean our public rights of way and parks, departments across the city have been working for weeks on a comprehensive plan that can be quickly implemented following City Council approval of additional funds," Durkan said in a statement. "Our parks have become an important refuge for Seattle residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is critical we keep our parks and playgrounds safe and accessible to all."
Disruptions in staffing and scheduled pickups caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to the buildup of trash and other waste, the city said. Illegal dumping has also increase, as the mayor's office cited data from Seattle Public Utility's (SPU) Illegal Dumping program that showed a 195% increase in the volume of material collected this year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mayor-durkan-launches-clean-cities-initiative-to-remove-waste-from-seattle-pakrs/ar-BB1aJQcS?ocid=hplocalnews
