City leaders continue to encourage citizens to ‘Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful’

ALBANY, Ga. – Good Life City officials are promoting the benefits of cleanliness, as Operation Clean Sweep drags through the clutter and debris of the wards throughout Albany.

“It’s to get things cleaned up and get it the way it needs to be.” said Stacey Rowe, the City of Albany’s Public Works Director.

Rowe says that the ultimate goal of Operation Clean Sweep, a program that has been in place for 2 years, helping small sections of each ward get more “aesthetic.”

“We look at focusing on getting grassed mowed, weeds cut, trees trimmed, litter picked up and removed, clean up parks as we’re here today at Bill Miller.” said Rowe.

Rowe says “tidiness” goes beyond the image of a neighborhood, and when litter and trash is found scattered, it becomes a public safety issue.

“…because when people come in your neighborhoods and they see things are cleaned up and everything’s in order they’ll realize this neighborhood’s serious, they look after things, they want things nice, and they’re not going to put up with a bunch of foolishness.” Rowe explained.

Nationally, ‘Keep America Beautiful’ conducts a litter index each July. Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful Executive Director Jwana Washington says the Good Life City got a satisfactory report.

“On a scale of 1-4 I am happy to say that Albany was a 1.47 considering what it could be. 4 being that the are is littered, there was obvious illegal dumps, 1 being no sign of litter.” said Washington.

In the end, city leaders want citizens to continue to take responsibility for their neighborhood.

“And they have been doing that. I think with the Operation Clean Sweep and what these ladies and gentlemen behind me have been doing for the past two years is really making a difference.” said Ward 6 city commissioner Demetrius Young.

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