LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie

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LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
LITTER
                            ERADICATION
                            ACTION PLAN
                            2019-2024   (LEAP)

SAFE,
CLEAN &
BEAUTIFUL
— A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
MAYOR’S LETTER
                                    On behalf of our five-person City Council, more than 1,100 city employees
                                    and 200,000 residents, it is my pleasure to provide this foreword to the
                                    City’s Litter Eradication Action Plan (LEAP). As I hope you’ve discovered,
                                    we’re building something special in Port St. Lucie: a safe, beautiful
                                    and prosperous city for all people—your hometown! And, currently, we
                                    find ourselves in one of those incredible moments of time, where our
                                    team’s commitment to working hard, smart and together on a strategic
                                    blueprint for our future is really starting to pay off. Our 2019 has been
                                    exceptionally good, and we’re lucky to have many compelling narratives.
                                    We’re the safest large city in Florida; we have one of the highest rates of
                                    homeownership; and, according to US News & World Report, we’re one
                                    of the best places to live near a beach, we’re one of the best places to
  Greg Oravec,                      retire, and we’re one of the best places to live in the entire country. One of
  Mayor                             my personal favorites is that our City has come a long way in the short
                                    time since its incorporation in 1961, that originally marketed around the
world and especially in the northeast as a retirement haven, we have gone from a sales pitch and bedroom
community, where only 330 people lived in 1970 and only 14,690 people lived in 1980, to an award-
winning, full service city that is now the seventh most populous city in the third most post populous state
and a place that is becoming increasingly dynamic and prosperous without losing its hometown feel or its
connection to the natural resources that make Florida, Florida.
This story, our story, is incredible. It’s a story of transformation, of hard work, perseverance, the American
Dream playing out at the municipal scale; and more than anything, it’s a success story. As with many such
stories, if you look at the key ingredients of success, you will not find gimmicks or the latest fads. Although
an important tool, you won’t find technology as a magical force. What you will find is a commitment
to values like excellence and dedication, to hard work, harnessing the power of a united team and to
fundamental business principles.
When it comes to community building, what could be more fundamental than making sure our community
is clean? As citizens and employees, this is one of our most essential responsibilities, and we must
recognize that we cannot be a safe, beautiful and prosperous city without also being a clean one. Let us
also ask ourselves, how can we continue to be one of the best places to live in the country if we accept
others using our home as a garbage can or ashtray? Quite simply, we can’t; and if we are to reach our
great potential as a city, we must never accept this. To borrow from Churchill, we must fight litter on our
shores, we must fight it on the streets, parks, fields, front yards and parking lots. We must fight litter
wherever we meet it, and we must protect the community we love.
Additionally, we must recognize that in the absence of a more perfect society, where no citizen litters,
those of us who care the most, dedicated citizens and employees like you, will have to lead the effort to
work hard, smart and together on carrying out our Litter Eradication Action Plan, recognizing that our fight
is not a moment in time but a culture that must be sustained over time. Our success in this fight depends
on you. Our City is in your hands, and you will help decide if PSL’s great success story continues and if
we create even better narratives in the future. The “world’s cleanest city” has a nice ring to it, and that title
would certainly go a long way towards helping us build an even better Port St. Lucie.
Thank you for taking this LEAP! If ever the City Council and I can be of assistance or you want to talk about
building a cleaner, more beautiful Port St. Lucie, please do not hesitate to contact us at 772-871-5159.

Mayor Gregory J. Oravec
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
CITY MANAGER

As part of the first goal of the City’s Strategic Plan,
“Safe, Clean, and Beautiful,” I am pleased to announce a
new endeavor by City staff to expand the Keep Port St
Lucie Beautiful Program by creating a Litter Eradication
Action Plan or LEAP. The purpose is to establish a litter
eradication program that starts with City employees and
expands to other sectors of the community.

Litter distracts from the beauty of our community and
has negative effects. Not only is it unappealing and           Russ Blackburn,
unattractive, it is also hazardous to drivers and to the       City Manager

environment. Litter cluttering our roads and highways
harms our economic prospects and stifles our community’s
wellbeing. It sends the wrong message to residents and
those visiting our fine City.

LEAP is the initial beginning of a defined five-year
action plan to create a litter-free community. A litter-free
environment will enhance the beauty and desirability
of the City, provide safer roadways, provide a cleaner
environment for animals, and evoke pride and respect
for our City.

Our City’s strategic goal of “Safe, Clean and Beautiful” is
a shared responsibility which City’s staff takes seriously.
I am looking forward to taking a “LEAP” to bring about a
renewed “Culture of Clean” in the City of Port St. Lucie.

Sincerely,

Russ Blackburn, City Manager
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful		    6

The Evolution of Litter			         8

Litter Eradication Action Plan		   10

    Education & Awareness		        12

    Infrastructure				16

    Partnerships				18

    Enforcement				21

    Incentives					24

Implementation				26

Monitoring and Evaluation		        27

Conclusion					27
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
L. E. A. P.
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
KEEP PORT ST. LUCIE
    BEAUTIFUL
    Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful (KPSLB) has been tasked with partnering and collaborating with
    other City departments to create a Litter Eradication Action Plan. KPSLB is a program housed
    within the City of Port St. Lucie Public Works Department. Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful has
    been making our City shine since April 20, 2001.

    MISSION STATEMENT
    Engaging individuals to take greater responsibility
    for improving their community environments.

    GUIDING PRINCIPLES
    As a recognized leader in community improvement,
    Keep America Beautiful is guided by these principles:
    EDUCATION
    This is the key to encouraging positive behaviors toward community improvement.

    INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
    Improving communities, their environment, and quality of life all begins with
    personal responsibility—individuals becoming more engaged as citizens and
    stewards of the environment.

    PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
    Broad-based community alliances are essential to achieve sustainable community
    improvement.

    VOLUNTEER ACTION
    By engaging volunteers, we extend the reach of our education and multiply the
6   impact of our actions.
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
MANDATE
 Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful (KPSLB)
is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful
                                               THE
   (KAB). KAB is a national, nonprofit
public education organization dedicated
   since 1953 to inspire and educate
                                            COMMITTEE
     people to take action every day
      to improve and beautify their           The Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful
       community’s environment.             (KPSLB) Committee consists of nine
                                             members who serve on a voluntary,
  KPSLB assists KAB by addressing                     unpaid basis.
  issues that relate to those physical
 and visual aspects of the community         The committee is assisted by two
    environment that individuals can         full-time Public Works employees
personally and directly impact through       who serve as the Special Projects
           their own actions.                    Coordinator and Secretary.

     PREVENT LITTER                           The KPSLB Committee addresses
                                            issues that relate to the physical and
   IMPROVE RECYCLING
                                              visual aspects of our community’s
     BEAUTIFICATION
                                             environment and shows individuals
                                            how they can personally and directly
                                               impact that environment through
                                                      their own actions.

                                                                                     7
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
AN INTRODUCTION

     OUR L.E.A.P INTO A

                                                                                                      SAFE, CLEAN & BEAUTIFUL
     CULTURE OF CLEAN
    The purpose of this Litter Eradication           St. Lucie Beautiful programs, Neighborhood
    Action Plan is to initiate change to create      Services Department, Port St. Lucie Police
    a “Culture of Clean” in the City of Port St.     Department, Utility Systems Department,
    Lucie, Florida, where resources are valued,      Communications Department and Parks
    and nothing is wasted. This Action Plan          & Recreation Department have been and
    correlates with the City of Port St. Lucie’s     continue to be successful initiatives. This
    Strategic Plan, specifically as it pertains to   Action Plan will help to take our City’s goals
    Goal 1: “Safe, Clean and Beautiful.” It is       and objectives to an entirely new level.
    the intent of this Action Plan to “maintain,
    develop, and promote policies, programs          Litter and illegal dumping have adverse
    and services that further our commitment         environmental, social and economic
    to ensuring that Port St. Lucie is a “safe,      impacts, which affect all sectors of the
    clean and beautiful city.”                       community. While it is difficult to calculate
                                                     the true social, economic and environmental
    Our mission is to influence and enable           cost of littering, State government agencies
    change – from gathering evidence and             and local governments spend many millions
    informing policy, to motivating practical        of dollars each year cleaning up litter and
    behavior change in individuals and               illegally dumped waste materials.
    organizations through our programs. We
    also make direct interventions to foster         A strategic approach must be taken to
    change, commonly in the form of finance,         tackling litter in order to achieve the litter
    business support, technical advice, training     reduction targets established in this Litter
    and communications.                              Eradication Action Plan. While traditional
                                                     approaches to litter management, like
    No one wants to live in a place where the        clean-up projects, have positive benefits
    streets, green areas and parks are blighted      in targeted areas, ongoing litter reduction
    by litter. Our “Love PSL” campaign, Keep Port    requires a multi-strategy approach.

                                             The Buddy Bench Project
                                             An innovative way to discourage
                                             litter and encourage kindness

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LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
LITTER IS ASSOCIATED WITH POVERTY,
CITY                                               CRIME AND SOCIAL DISORDER
EFFORTS
KPSLB
In 2019, the following amounts of
trash have been picked up through
KPSLB’s programs:

Adopt-a-Street Program
2,340 bags / 46,805 pounds

Litter Crew                               Litter includes cigarette butts, drink containers, food wrappers, junk
4,863 bags / 97,260 pounds                mail, poorly secured loads carried by vehicles and waste materials
                                          illegally dumped. Much of the litter stream is comprised of bever-
St. Lucie County                          age containers and other highly recyclable materials.
Sheriff’s Inmate Program
329 bags / 6,580 pounds                  The social and environmental costs of
                                         littering and illegal dumping include:
Swale Contractors
797 bags / 15,935 pounds                 •     Properties that are dirty and look “unloved” can adversely
                                               impact individuals’ health and well-being.
Statistics within the last five years    •     Loss of resources when recyclable material ends up as
(1/1/2015 to 12/31/2019):                      litter.
                                         •     Loss in the visual appeal and public amenity of public
Adopt-a-Street Program                         places.
10,395 bags / 207,890 pounds
                                         •     Harm to aquatic life through its impact on water quality.
Litter Crew                              •     Blockages to storm water drainage systems.
12,179 bags / 243,585 pounds             •     Personal harm (e.g., broken glass, needles and syringes).
                                         •     Brushfires caused by lit cigarettes being thrown from
St. Lucie County                               vehicles.
Sheriff’s Inmate Program                 •     Litter cleanup costs the U.S. more than $11.5 billion each
1,235 bags / 24,700 pounds
                                               year.
Public Works Contractors                 •     Decreased property values by 7 percent.
3,781 bags / 75,624 pounds               •     Providing shelter and attraction for vermin.

                                        Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful Community Appearance Index
PARKS &                                 Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful completes a Community Appearance Index for the City of Port St.
                                        Lucie annually. The Keep America Beautiful Community Appearance Litter Index is a tool used
RECREATION                              to visually assess the overall appearance of the various neighborhoods. This is done through
                                        indicators such as litter, illegal signs, graffiti, abandoned/junk vehicles and outside storage. The
In 2018, the following amounts of       amount of litter in a community is rated on a scale from 1 to 4, with 4 being extremely littered
trash have been picked up through       and 1 being minimal to no litter. Port St. Lucie received a 1.37 or 1.4 rating for 2018, which
P&R’s programs:                         equates to being “slightly littered.” “Slightly littered” is defined as litter that can be removed by
                                        1 or 2 people which may take up to an hour. In 2019, Port St. Lucie received a score of 1 for
Adopt-a-Park Program                    minimal to no litter.
29 bags / 580 pounds                                                                                                                     9
LITTER ERADICATION ACTION PLAN 2019-2024 - (LEAP) - Port St. Lucie
LITTER ERADICATION
     ACTION PLAN                                                     EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

     PURPOSE:                “SAFE, CLEAN & BEAUTIFUL - A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY”
     This Litter Eradication Action Plan sets out a framework for reducing litter and illegal dumping
     in the City of Port St. Lucie over the next five years. The title, “A ‘Culture of Clean’ Is a Shared
     Responsibility,” describes the approach to be taken. It is everyone’s responsibility, whether a
     business, industry, local government or the community, to address the aspects of littering over
     which they have some control.

     STRATEGIC TARGET
     Consistent messaging and initiating strategic
     partnerships and best practices to eradicate
     litter in Port St. Lucie.

 City Employees and Family Members
 City Residents and Visitors
 City Departments
 Waste Pro
 Private Sector: Manufacturing & Construction, Food, Drink and
 Hospitality businesses, Tourism & Leisure facilities, Retailers,
 Housing Associations & Managers, Landowners & Property
 Managers (HOA’s, Churches, Civic groups, etc.)
 Public Sector: Hospitals & healthcare facilities, Schools,
 colleges & universities, Local authorities, Transport operators,
 Community groups & community councils.
 Enforcement Agencies: Port St. Lucie Police Department,
 St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department, St. Lucie County Fire
 District, FL Department of Environmental Education, and U.S.
 Environmental Protection Agency
 Brand Ambassadors: PSL Rocks, Bloggers – utilize their
 followers
 Government: Local, Regional, State & Federal

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CULTURE                     STRATEGIC
  OF CLEAN                    APPROACHES
                              TO BEHAVIOR

                              CHANGE
    To change behavior,
   there is a requirement
    to build community
   participation, not just
 communicate a message.

Effective behavior change
     requires approaches
   and strategies that not
                                   EDUCATION AND
    only seek to influence         AWARENESS
   personal behavior, but
  broaden communities of
influence and social norms.
                                   INFRASTRUCTURE

                                   PARTNERSHIPS

                                   ENFORCEMENT
                                   INCENTIVES

                              No individual key area above can achieve
                              change in littering behavior, but together,
                              they can build community capacity in positive
                              litter and waste behaviors.

                                                                              11
EDUCATION &
AWARENESS
Education, information and training are proactive measures
required to prevent the creation of litter and to achieve
long-term positive behavioral change.

     GOAL 1
  Educate internally and externally about maintaining a litter-
  free environment for an ultimate “Culture of Clean.”

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12
OBJECTIVE 1.1
Create an internal educational and training campaign
geared towards City employees for litter prevention.

  STRATEGIES                           TIMELINE       NOTES
  • City Manager will kick off first   2019
    phase of Litter Eradication
    Action Plan by meeting
    individually with each City
    department to outline these
    expectations.

  • All City vehicles will display     Spring 2019
    KPSLB anti-littering
    stickers on bumpers and
    affixed inside on the glove
    compartments and will have
    a litter grabber.
  • Develop policy and training        2019          Collaborate with
    materials for City staff (e.g.,                  Human Resources
    when they see trash that
    can and should be picked                         Create videos
    up right away, to call it in
    or pick it up. Neighborhood
    Services Department
    and the Public Works
    Department will assist by
    sharing their “See-Grab-Go”
    policy.)

“ THE  FUTURE TURNS
  OUT TO BE SOMETHING THAT
    YOU MAKE INSTEAD OF FIND
                                               -Lewis Lapham            ”
                                                                        13
EDUCATION & AWARENESS
OBJECTIVE 1.2
Provide external educational and training programs
for litter prevention.

  STRATEGIES                           TIMELINE   NOTES
  • Develop external                              Consistent messaging:
    communications/educational          2019      traditional media, digital
                                                  media, press releases,
    campaign to discourage littering              newsletters, logos, T-shirts,
    for residents, customers and                  stickers, banners, mascot,
    others.                                       etc.

  • Develop communications/
    educational littering prevention    2019
    campaign for schools.

  • Implement communications/           2020       Incorporate various
    educational littering prevention               KPSLB events.
    campaign in schools.

  • Encourage community                 Ongoing    Coordinate with
    groups to devise their own                     departments for outreach
    Community Litter Action Plans.                 presentations.

  • Promote the use of the City’s       Ongoing
    App and KPSLB litter hotline.

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Grow the
Adopt-a-Street &
Adopt-a-Park
programs.

                   15
                   15
INFRASTRUCTURE
Improving the facilities and services provided to reduce
litter and promote recycling.

  GOAL 2
     To facilitate appropriate infrastructure and services to reduce
     littering and increase recycling across Port St. Lucie.

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OBJECTIVE 2.1
Minimize the incidents of illegal dumping, including
hazardous materials, in public places.

   STRATEGIES                                                     TIMELINE
   • Evaluation of locations of existing public litter bins,
     consulting with local communities, waste operations,         2020
     businesses and other stakeholders to optimize
     positioning for litter bins for best effect.

   • Create potential creative/preventative barriers              2020
     that may be placed/installed at “hot spots.”
   • KPSLB will assist Utility Systems Department and
                                                                  2019
     other interested departments in their purchase of
     litter bags, buckets, gloves and grabbers, which will be
     kept in the Prineville warehouse and other appropriate
     department storage areas.
  • Install colorful, bright trash and recycling receptacles in   2020
    lieu of plain colors – attracts more trash.

  • Creation of more pocket parks and bus stops that              2020
    have disposal receptacles.

  Install colorful,
  bright trash and
  recycling receptacles.

                                                                             17
PARTNERSHIPS
Litter prevention is the responsibility shared by many stakeholders
including state and local governments, industry and businesses,
not-for-profits and community groups, families and individuals.

  GOAL 3
     Encourage and work with stakeholders to identify their
     responsibilities and manage their role in litter and waste
     management in a coordinated and consistent manner.

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OBJECTIVE 3.1
Identify opportunities to work with organizations and
individuals in the delivery of litter-related activities.

    STRATEGIES                                                          TIMELINE
    • KPSLB to partner with Parks & Recreation by                      2019
      participating in the Summer Camp Program by
      presenting educational components involving litter
      prevention and recycling.
    • P & R will promote the Adopt-a-Park Program with the             Ongoing
      goal of having all 42 City parks adopted.
    • KPSLB will continue to promote the Adopt-a-Street Program
      with the ultimate goal of having every neighborhood              Ongoing
      represented and having all roadways adopted (Current
      Strategic Plan Goal in place to increase program from 15
      groups to 175 for 2019-2020).
    • Building Department will incorporate KPSLB information           2019
      into conversations with contractors and will share
      information about keeping sites clean.
    • Building Department discusses litter during weekly               Ongoing
      management and division meetings, and at outreach
      network meetings to work towards applicable solutions.
Ongoing
   • Develop long-term partnerships with major corporations            Ongoing
     who do business in the City.
    • Waste Pro to exhibit litter prevention signage on their trucks   2019
      and trash receptacles.
    • Waste Pro to provide additional litter crew for the City.        2019

“ UNEXPECTED
       IF YOU DO NOTHING

       NOTHING UNEXPECTED - Fay Weldon
        HAPPENS ”                                                                  19
PARTNERSHIPS
OBJECTIVE 3.2
Investigate the potential for partnerships with relevant public
and private organizations, including industry and volunteer
groups, to develop and implement litter prevention programs
for Port St. Lucie.

     STRATEGIES                                                            TIMELINE
     • Invite students/schools to create art installations that will be      2021
       displayed throughout the City at various appropriate venues.

     • KPSLB to develop a Litter Prevention/Improving Recycling             2020
       Restaurant/Fast Food Campaign (budget-dependent).

     • Litter Symposium: KPSLB to partner with event hosts, resident        December 7,
       Gary Smith (Adopt-a-Street volunteer/People Serious About Litter)    2019
       and the Rotary Club will present to the public with guest speaker
       at the Civic Center.

OBJECTIVE 3.3
Identify and address areas of high priority in litter generation.

     STRATEGIES                                                            TIMELINE
     • Litter Eradication Team to meet monthly to review Litter            Ongoing
       Eradication Action Plan and assess progress. Team to
       include key representatives from City departments.

     • The reports are frequently shared on social media;                  Ongoing
       so that, others can see action or information easily
       which allows for ‘hot spot’ areas to be identified
       and targeted with intervention and enforcement.

     • Give access to the interactive litter map to report litter          2020
       so it can be populated to see trends of hot spot traffic.
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ENFORCEMENT
Consistent and effective enforcement of existing legislation, codes and by-
laws helps change behavior and reinforces the commitment of a community,
resulting in less littering and a reduction in illegal dumping.

                                                                           NOTES
  GOAL 4
   To ensure effective and efficient enforcement
   of the current litter legislation.

OBJECTIVE 4.1
The Police Department, Neighborhood Services and KPSLB will
review current approaches to litter enforcement and prevention.

    STRATEGIES                                                              TIMELINE
    • Review the litter laws and City ordinances and present               Annually
      suggestions for City ordinance changes to City Counci;
      seek amendments regularly.

    • Identify litter hot spots based on analysis of calls for             Monthly
      service and litter removal by City Litter Removal Crews.
    • Conduct directed patrols in these identified areas.                  Daily
    • Create a simple and affordable penalty option for first-time
      offenders that is similar to the parking citations. Simplify         December 2019
      enforcement for police officers and code compliance specialists.
    • Implement surveillance cameras in the identified
      “hot spot” areas.                                                    2024

    • Explore hiring of Litter Enforcement Specialist and/or volunteers.   2019

                                                                                           21
ENFORCEMENT
OBJECTIVE 4.2
Enhance the enforcement training for authorized
police officers and code compliance specialists.
                                                                  NOTES
     STRATEGIES                                                    TIMELINE
     • Continue to provide enforcement training via KPSLB, NSD     Bi-Annually
       and PSLPD to ensure authorized staff are up-to-date with
       legislation and enforcement strategies.

     • Create training video for law enforcement use regarding     Summer 2019
       litter for Citizen Patrol, volunteers, etc.

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OBJECTIVE 4.3
Increase community understanding of the provisions of litter
and associated legislation – the existence of penalties for
littering and illegal dumping.

   STRATEGIES                                                  TIMELINE
   • Building Department will meet regularly with              Monthly
     contractors at monthly stakeholder meetings and hold
     them accountable for having clean work sites.

  • The Building Department requests inspectors to report      Daily
    any construction site with excess litter to management.
    Management will summon the license holder to the
    Building Department for a meeting and require them
    to clean the construction site. Repeat offenders or lack
    of response will lead to monetary fines.

    BEFORE                                                 AFTER
                                                                          23
                                                                          23
INCENTIVES
Community incentives for participation and reward for positive
behavior reinforce the desired behaviors and provide visibility
within the community.

  GOAL 5
  To encourage, reward and provide appropriate resources for
  people to change their behavior with regard to litter and
  illegal dumping.

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OBJECTIVE 5.1
Develop program and resources to address problem areas
of littering and illegal dumping.

    STRATEGY                                                         TIMELINE
    • Incentivize the Adopt-a-Street Program for employees
                                                                     Winter 2020
      (incentive similar to St. Lucie SOARS). Theoretically, an
      estimated 1,000 streets could be adopted in the City if
      every employee adopted their street. The incentive would
      only be granted if the employee adopted their street
      and submitted litter clean-up reports once per month.

OBJECTIVE 5.2
Increase community participation in litter collection
and prevention of litter.

    STRATEGIES                                                       TIMELINE
    • Re-initiate the Beautification Awards or create a “Quality     2023
      of Place” award to encourage commercial property
      owners and business owners to invest more in the
      beautification of their properties.
    • Develop school competitions with awarding participation        2022
      and most improved awards.
    • As part of the campaigns created, “Love PSL,” incentives and   2023
      rewards will involve partnering with community members
      (pick-up two a week – running tallies on website – end-of-
      year award to top three.)
2023
   • Adopt-a-Park Award and Recognition Program                      2020
     to coincide with Parks & Recreation Month.

                                                                                   25
IMPLEMENTATION
            To work effectively, this Litter Eradication Action Plan requires the following:

        •       A high level of coordination between all                                      •     A high level of collaboration with all involved
                parties involved in any work targeting litter                                       or potentially involved in enforcement
                behavior.                                                                           activities, using different strategies for
                                                                                                    those already implemented to build greater
        •       Activity to be based on good information and
                                                                                                    participation.
                statistics about littering behavior, including
                being responsive to areas where the statistics                                •     Greater effort expended on enforcement
                are getting worse.                                                                  activities.
        •       The outcomes of activities to be continually                                  •     A continuing high level of priority placed on
                monitored so that resources can be focused                                          roadside litter, working closely with Keep Port
                where significant results are being achieved                                        St. Lucie Beautiful (KPSLB), Neighborhood
                or likely to be achieved.                                                           Services, the Port St. Lucie Police Department
                                                                                                    and Waste Pro.

            Achieving community-wide coordination for litter prevention and management is a significant challenge.
            A large number of organizations and individuals have a role to play and a wide range of resources are
            required. Fostering community ownership of initiatives and identifying the resources needed to implement
            these is essential. Facilitating links which enable organizations, individuals and the community to
            contribute to the implementation of this Action Plan is also a priority.

            This Action Plan emphasizes a planned, coordinated approach to litter prevention and
            reduction across the City of Port St. Lucie based upon a number of important needs.

            These include:
            •   Avoiding duplication                                •     Avoiding conflicting                                •     The need for long-term
            •   Making best use of                                        messages                                                  planning.
                resources                                           •     Coordinating a diverse
            •   Establishing priorities                                   range of approaches
Keep America Beautiful Resources

1.   Litter in America, Key Findings: Litter, 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study, January 2010
2.   Litter in America, Key Findings: Sources of Litter, 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study, January 2010
3.   Litter in America, Key Findings: Cigarette Butt Litter, 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study, January 2010
4.   Litter in America, Key Findings: The Costs of Americans Littering, 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study, January 2010
5.   Litter in America, Key Findings: Littering Behavior, 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study prepared by MidAtlantic Solid Waste Consultants, January 2010
6.   Litter ‘Asociated with Increases in Crime’ November 2014.

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MONITORING
& EVALUATION
A regular evaluation and reporting cycle will be undertaken for all program priorities recommended
in this Litter Eradication Action Plan. Feedback from the community and other stakeholders will be
sought to provide input.The overall progress of this strategy will be monitored in relation to the five
Key Performance Indicators below:

  EDUCATION AND AWARENESS
  Clear and consistent anti-litter messages and information throughout Port St. Lucie.

  INFRASTRUCTURE
  More infrastructure used in litter management.

  PARTNERSHPS
  Increased involvement, partnerships and coordination between stakeholders in litter prevention and
  management activities.

  ENFORCEMENT
  Modify littering behavior by targeting people who commit littering offenses.

  INCENTIVES
  Increased participation in KPSLB and NSD/NICE community pride and litter prevention programs.

CONCLUSION
Our beautiful City of Port St. Lucie has developed into a thriving diverse community for all people. We
live in the midst of gorgeous nature and wildlife, and this is our home - where we raise our families,
create memories and set down roots. Our homes are connected to our community, our City. We wish
to keep our City safe, clean and beautiful for future generations, and it behooves each of us to do our
part today.

Not only is LEAP a tool to unite our City Departments in our commitment to litter prevention, but
this plan serves as a tool to unite our community. LEAP serves as a reminder to residents that
they are deserving of a safe, clean and beautiful place to call home. Reducing litter through shared
community, business and government actions will reduce waste and ensure Port St. Lucie residents
and business owners use resources more efficiently.

Whether you live here all year-round, are seasonal or simply passing through, you play an important
part in the overall well-being of our community. Join our efforts as we LEAP into a “Culture of Clean.”

       “People feel safer in a clean neighborhood vs. a littered one.”
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This document has been prepared by:
     Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful | Georgette Beck
     Communications Department/KPSLB Committee Member | Nicole Hricik

     in partnership and collaboration with
     Former Assistant City Manager/NICE/Neighborhoods/City Engineer | Patricia Roebling
     Chief Assistant City Manager/Utility Systems Department | Jesus Merejo
     City Manager’s Office Business Navigator | Elijah Wooten
     Communications Department | Sarah Prohaska
     Neighborhood Services Department | Carmen Capezzuto
     Neighborhood Services Department | Michael Hahn
     Parks & Recreation Department Director | Sherman Conrad
     Parks & Recreation Department | Joe Carter
     Parks & Recreation Department | Kelly Tiger
     Port St. Lucie Police Department Assistant Chief | Rich Del Toro
     Port St. Lucie Police Department/KPSLB Committee Member | Officer Fred Knaggs
     Public Works Department Interim Director | Roxanne Chesser
     Public Works Department Deputy Director | John Dunton
     Utility Systems Department /KPSLB Committee Member | Jenny Tomes

                                                       For more information, please contact:
                                                       Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful
                                                       450 SW Thornhill Drive
                                                       Port St. Lucie, FL 34984

                                                       Telephone: 772-871-5103
                                                       Email: KPSLB@cityofpsl.com
                                                       Website: www.CityofPSL.com/KPSLB

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