Efforts being launched to help clean up Cedar Rapids litter

City Hall is unveiling “Clean Sweep” and “Adopt-a-Road” programs to help clean the city of litter.

On Saturday, April 16, community groups and volunteers who have signed up with City Hall's Clean Sweep program will be issued “mint-green” bags, vests and gloves as they go about the work of cleaning up their immediate neighborhood or some other part of the city. City crews then will pick up and dispose of the bags and other items at no charge. The event will be repeated on Saturday, Oct. 15.

In a second effort, the city also will begin an Adopt-a-Road program in which local businesses, groups and individuals can adopt a city street to clean up. Those who sign up also will get the mint-green bags, vests and gloves, and city crews will come by and pick bags and other debris up.

A similar program will be available for those who want to clean up a particular area other than a street.

Cleaning up the city was one priority announced some weeks ago by City Manager Jeff Pomeranz.

In addition, the City Council on Tuesday evening will discuss the idea of instituting “targeted” collection events in the city's core neighborhoods in coordination with neighborhood associations. Such events would allow residents an easy way to dispose of furniture, bulky items, appliances, tires, electronics, wood waste and scrap metal. Typically, picking up and disposing of these items comes with a charge, but the council is expected to discuss charges for the special neighborhood programs.

The council also will look at ideas for offering discounts or roving collections for bulky items elsewhere in the city.