Adopt-A-Street Cleanup Program Under Consideration In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield's Conservation Department is looking to launch an Adopt-a-Street cleanup program, where residents, businesses or organizations pledge to pick up litter along a stretch of road to help keep the town clean.

Tim Bishop, the Fairfield's Conservation Department director, told Patch that he is basing the program on a similar one in Ridgefield, where he lives.

"My son and I have been cleaning up a stretch of road for about seven years," Bishop said. The two put on gloves and high-visibility vests and usually go out on a couple of Sunday mornings a year when there is little traffic.

The proposed Fairfield program, which was briefly discussed by the Conservation Commission during a meeting Wednesday, would be a volunteer effort, where residents or groups could apply to clean up a 500-foot stretch of road on both sides. The applicant would be responsible for discarding the litter they collected at their own expense.

A sign would be made to designate the area, and it would carry the resident's or the group's name. The signs would be paid for by the town with proceeds from the "nip" alcohol fund.

Under the state's "nickel-per-nip" environmental stewardship program, municipalities receive 5 cents for each small "nip" liquor bottle sold in the community over a six-month period. Fairfield and other municipalities receive thousands of dollars a year through the program, more than enough to pay for the signs.

The Department of Public Works would install the signs, in most cases using existing sign poles. Sponsoring state or county roads would not be allowed.

Applicants would have to commit to cleaning up the section of road at least twice a year for five years. Conservation Department staff would oversee the program and monitor whether the road is being kept free of litter.

Roadside litter often finds its way into inland and tidal wetlands, watercourses or conservation open space, which will have a negative impact on the environment.

"The goal is to take trash off the streets, but also to keep it out of the wetlands, natural resource areas and catch basins," Bishop told the commission.

Dabney Bowen, vice chair of the commission, said she likes the idea, and hopes that problematic roads where more garbage has accumulated.

"Perhaps the department can encourage applicants to choose roads that really need it, compared to those that have less litter," Bowen said.

The commission only discussed the program during Wednesday's meeting, but did not vote on it; that may come at its August meeting, at the earliest.

In addition to the Conservation and Public Works departments, Bishop said other departments might be involved, too.