S.A.M.B.A.'s speaker gets (deliberately?) misquoted.

[CS Foltz]

sheclown............has the trash issue on Main Street been addressed by SPAR? I got a PM from Amanda  saying that would be discussed at the next SPAR Meeting and was curious if something had come out of that? By the way, I am all for any neighborhood taking it upon themselves to address an issue that the City will not get involved in.............whatever it is!

[sheclown]

no.  same trash still in the trash cans spilling on to the sidewalk and tumbling down the street.

[Dan B]

^ Perhaps the main street merchants could address it?

[sheclown]

I do, every day. 

I do need to call consistently. 

The trash cans are the main problem.  There are just those large concrete containers without cans inside or covers on top of them.  It would be better to not have anything than to have these monsters.

[sheclown]

Besides, I do my part... I tell "Janet Jackson" when she strips down butt naked in front of the tax places not to leave her clothes lying around, but she just cusses me and wanders down the sidewalk.

[strider]

Dan, each merchant must take care of their own trash and also should and for the most part does pick up in their "area".  Businesses pay pretty dearly for their own trash pick-up or to have dumpsters, depending on the volume of the trash generated.

Public trash cans are just that and at least should be the responsibilty of the city.  In this case, where the actual cans were provided by a community organization, it can be assumed that the organization made arrangements with the city and the city agreed to pick them up on a regular basis.  So, in a way, if could also be construed that the responsibily to maintain the can, meaning making sure the liners and tops are there, would fall back on the organization which orginally provided them. Just like the responisbity to empty them is still with the city.

We can point fingers and say, you should do it or we can make calls, talk to people and see if the problem can be resolved in the correct way and in a way that results in the can being emptied on a regular basis to the benifit of everyone. 

[Dan B]

Do you want me to come over at lunch to help pick it up? Seriously, I dont mind, its just whenever I am there I am not usually with bags or trash claw. Do you have bags, or should I grab some on the way?

I jog down that stretch of Main at least 3 or 4 times a week, and I can tell you that the debris that Ock and CS are waiting for SPAR to clean up as been there for months. There is a nook just north of the thrift store that has clearly been someones bed/bathroom for months... It would be great if the Block Captains, Samba, SPAR, and the Merchants (or some variation there in) could figure out a program that could address Main St litter problem in an ongoing basis. If such a program were in place, however, the onus of managing it would have to fall on the people who see and deal with it daily, and it probably makes sense for that to be the merchants on Main.

[thelakelander]

Sounds like a job for a merchant's association like SAMBA. This could also be something that could help grow the group's membership and influence.

[strider]

 Good point Dan, why don't you come right on over and empty it. We actually have before.  Probably will again.  Of course, if it is empty when the trash guys get here, perhaps they will just forget about it again.  And it won't solve the problem, but simply let it continue. And, what about the other cans that are not even close to the front of our store.  Are you going to go empty every one of those as well?  Hope so, as that is what we are trying to get done.  I personally do not care if you do it or COJ does it. I just think it would be for the benefit of everyone if it got done on a regular basis. Glad that you volunteered.

Of course I do not think you should do it.  But see the point?  Where does it stop?  Just seems better to try to find a permanent solution and sometimes that is showing the city that there really is a problem and not doing it for them.  Which is why letting it sit full after we have called seems like a reasonable thing to do.

I would think that if some kind of liners could be provided for the city, they might actually be OK with regularly empting theses cans.  I think the lack of liners makes them pass them by. Perhaps the businesses could chip in through SAMBA and get something  to fit.

[Dan B]

Trash cans wasn't specifically what I was talking about. I was talking about the trash that seems to be prevalent in each of the empty door ways along Main.

Emptying of the trashcans is a different, and yes I agree, COJ specific problem.

[jason_contentdg]

Sounds like a job for a merchant's association like SAMBA. This could also be something that could help grow the group's membership and influence.

Obviously worth looking into, I'll bring it up at the next meeting.

On another note, is it true the JEA will no longer be servicing the alley ways and the city will no longer be maintaining them soon?

[Miss Fixit]

Sounds like a job for a merchant's association like SAMBA. This could also be something that could help grow the group's membership and influence.

Obviously worth looking into, I'll bring it up at the next meeting.

On another note, is it true the JEA will no longer be servicing the alley ways and the city will no longer be maintaining them soon?

The city's latest position is that they have no responsibility for maintaining the alleys and that the adjoining property owners are responsible for doing so.  I'm attending a Springfield Alley taskforce meeting this week so will know more in a couple of days.

Regarding trash on main street:  of course the city should be responsible for trash pickup (what else are those controversial garbage fees for?).  But if they are not handling it, both SAMBA and SPAR should get involved.  Clean street is good for business and good for the nearby residential neighborhoods.

[cindi]

we were also told that you will no longer even be able to pay for one of the spot lights in the alley.  this has the potential to become very very bad.  alleys can become dark in certain spots as it is, but with no lights at all - yikes.

[fsu813]

 'tis true: http://myspringfield.org/bb/viewtopic.php?p=388

also, duruing last month's Main Street clean up the consensus was that there was not that much trash to pick up. perhaps it has changed.

[cindi]

'tis true: http://myspringfield.org/bb/viewtopic.php?p=388

also, duruing last month's Main Street clean up the consensus was that there was not that much trash to pick up. perhaps it has changed.

the doorways to the empty stores have always been a huge problem.  hence the, which is worse, a store that some may not like or an open bathroom / camp that almost no one (i would say no one but hey i am sure there are some that will defend the right of someone to cop a squat in the door way and leave their bedding) likes?