The Public Works Department has had an initial discussion with the City Attorney's office with regards to this initiative. A major concern brought up is the potential liability to the City, should a resident who is cleaning a drain injures himself or herself during the clean up, or something even far more traumatic such as a car accident.
There are over 4,700 catch basins throughout the City, all of which are in the right-of-way. Pictured below is what the typical catch basin (drain) looks like. Public Works would need to determine which of the catch basins would be the best fit. However, the best areas for this program would be in the residential areas, where the resident/s can remove debris from in front of their homes.
Should the Committee decide to move forth with such a program, the City would need to incorporate a safety component in order to protect its volunteers from harm, and guidance as to how this program would be implemented.
SIMILAR INITIATIVE BY FDOT
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has a similar initiative called Adopt a Highway, comprised of a partnership between volunteers and FDOT. Through this program, volunteers are required to:
- Enter into a two-year agreement with FDOT, during which they agree to conduct litter removal a minimum of four times each year, at regularly scheduled intervals.
- Follow specified FDOT regulations, and safety training.
- Wear safety vests, and bring with them safety cones, signs, and litter bags, provided by FDOT.
- Have litter collected be dropped off at specified locations where it can later be picked up by an FDOT crew member.
As a thank you for having volunteers participate, FDOT posts Adopt-a-Highway sign, commending the group at the beginning and end of their section.
Results from the 2019 Resident Survey show that 50% of residents rated efforts to manage stormwater drainage and flooding as excellent or good, and 46% of residents rated condition of streets as excellent or good. In order to continue maintaining excellent standards in this area, the City intends to consider programs that promotes cleanliness throughout the City as well as public participation.