Mayor Cherelle Parker came to Holmesburg last week to provide a final assessment of the 13-week One Philly, United City Citywide Cleaning Program.
Parker’s original plan was to clean every block in the city. The effort began on June 3.
On Sept. 4, speaking outside the Community Life Improvement Program office at 8716 Frankford Ave., the mayor said the city cleaned more than 18,000 blocks and completed more than 60,000 quality-of-life services.
Those services addressed chronic issues such as litter, illegal dumping, graffiti, abandoned automobiles, vacant lots, clogged inlets, trash-filled alleys, weeds and nuisance properties.
“We have only just begun,” Parker said.
The mayor was joined on stage by, among others, City Councilmen Mike Driscoll and Brian O’Neill; state Sen. Jimmy Dillon; state Rep. Pat Gallagher; Carlton Williams, director of the Office of Clean and Green Initiatives; Crystal Jacobs-Shipman, commissioner of the Department of Sanitation; Tom Conway, director of CLIP; Bridget Collins-Greenwald, Licenses and Inspections Commissioner for Quality of Life; and Charlie Kueny, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
Employees who performed the cleanup work were treated to a barbecue lunch.
Parker said she hates the term “Philthadelphia” and often says she wants Philadelphia to become the safest, cleanest, greenest big city in the nation, with economic opportunity for all. She promised more tree plantings, among other future initiatives.
Williams recognized Joy Kingwood Ellis, principal of Rhawnhurst Elementary School, for making her school a litter-free zone. He wants the recent cleanup effort to become “standard operating procedure” in the city.
Driscoll said his office has received calls praising the cleanups.
“Keep up the great work,” he said.
O’Neill, in his 45th year in office, said he was impressed that a dozen agencies worked together as part of the effort.
“This is really unprecedented,” he said. “This is not going to be a one and done.”
Kueny thanked employees for working in the heat to clean neighborhoods. He believes homeowners have taken notice and will begin to take pride and clean their properties.
“This initiative is just incredible,” he said.
Williams said the city will introduce a residential street cleaning program on Sept. 16, install security cameras to catch illegal trash dumpers and continue to add BigBelly trash/recycling cans and LED lights on blocks. ••
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