One of Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers’ most personal programs, Keep It Clean COS initiative is on a mission to make Olympic City USA one of the cleanest and most visually attractive metro areas.
“The beauty of Keep It Clean COS is it involves everyone, citywide, to make it work,” Suthers said. “While it’s a City initiative, we need the participation of residents and businesses alongside City staff to keep Olympic City USA one of the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing places in the nation.”
Mayor Suthers noted the countless ways residents can participate, from reporting trash or graffiti via the GoCOS! app, coordinating a neighborhood clean-up or joining a volunteer group that works to keep Colorado Springs clean.
From the City’s perspective, many departments are involved in the program, from public works to parks to neighborhood services to stormwater management and more.
For Public Works Director Travis Easton, this means overseeing 6,500 lane miles of roadways, 4,000 miles of curbs and gutters, and more than 17 million square feet of medians. His staff must do so while serving as careful stewards of taxpayer money, using 19 street sweepers, four truck sprayers to address vegetation, and three trucks with skid-mounted vacuums to pick up trash. The City employs 11 full-time staff members to operate this equipment.
“We know the Pikes Peak Region hosts more than 20 million visitors each year, and the first thing they see—after the mountains—are our streets and medians,” Easton said. “Keeping these areas clean brings a positive visual, but also protects our environment and the investments we’ve made as a City to protect our infrastructure and public safety.”
Neighborhood services plays a vital role in keeping the visual appeal of Colorado Springs intact through remediation of City Code violations by working with property owners, removing trash and debris, and removing graffiti throughout our community. Mitch Hammes, Neighborhood Services Manager, notes that the Quality of Life Team of 13 employees clean up over one million pounds of trash annually related to temporary camps established by people experiencing homelessness.
“The City’s strategy of not allowing permanent encampments provides incentive for people experiencing homelessness to connect with available services, while also allowing our Neighborhood Services team to keep these areas clean and free of trash and debris." he said.
Neighborhood Services sponsors neighborhood cleanups, allowing residents to gather, create community and beautify the appearance of their area with support from City staff. The program is free and only requires neighbors to volunteer their time and effort to assist with the cleanup. His team also responds to issues residents report through the GoCOS! app.
While less visible, Mayor Suthers’ commitment to protect our waterways and improve stormwater management keeps Colorado Springs beautiful. Residents can volunteer to clean up trash along waterways, adopt-a-waterway or simply be more mindful of how water runoff from their own property or business impacts water quality throughout the city.
“We hope that residents join the City to keep our beautiful region clean,” Suthers said. “It takes a broad effort to keep it clean here in Colorado Springs.”