Minneapolis does more than most cities as far as trash removal is concerned. Regular pickups include such things as mattresses and furniture besides the garbage and recycling. Every household may request vouchers to dispose of "spring cleaning" items. Tires, petroleum, building products and chemicals can be deposited at transfer stations. Given the level of regular services, Clean Sweep was an expensive perk that neighborhoods can easily do without.
There are considerable differences between trash collections in urban grids (cities or towns) and suburban developments. Density, the number of people contributing their share of trash and garbage is only one example. To their credit, for the past two years Hennepin County has sponsored a program that made compost systems available at a very reasonable price to city residents to encourage a reduction in wet and dry garbage suitable for composting. For many neighborhoods, the real product of Clean Sweep was not the trash. It was the opportunity for volunteers to meet and greet neighbors, get to know their neighborhood better and if the sweep event was shared, the opportunity to get to know neighbors across the borders. Clean Sweep tours of the alleys also turned up some beautiful gardens usually not seen from the street. There were at least two gardens, first seen during the "Sweep" included on Folwell's Secret Garden Tour, held for the first time last year in conjunction with the annual Blue Ribbon House and Garden competition. In the spirit of pride some neighborhoods will still hold Clean Sweep celebrations. Those events will just be different; graffiti removal, alley cleaning and any number of other projects like picking up trash in vacant lots or intersections. Perhaps the folks who will be the saddest to see Clean Sweep go will be those who really love to ride on the garbage trucks! Roberta Englund, Folwell TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
