Title
To declare the month of April 2014 to be Pick It Up Month in the City of Columbus.
Body
WHEREAS, April officially begins the year's litter cleanup efforts by thousands of volunteers in neighborhoods throughout Columbus, and
WHEREAS, this citywide litter cleanup effort in April follows Keep Columbus Beautiful's annual KickButtColumbus event on March 29, 2014, to clean cigarette litter from freeway entrance and exit ramps, and educate the public about the hazards of cigarette litter, and,
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus/Keep Columbus Beautiful is a key partner in April Earth Day activities which include cleanup and beautification of Columbus, and,
WHEREAS, CTV-3 will cablecast litter-related public service announcements about litter, and,
WHEREAS, a simple three-word call to action, "Pick It Up" puts ownership of litter back on the individual, and,
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has made great strides to enhance its image, revitalizing downtown, renewing investment and building pride in aging neighborhoods that surround the core city and is recognized and one of the cleanest cities in America, and,
WHEREAS, in 2013, nearly 9,000 volunteers worked side-by-side in Keep Columbus Beautiful-sponsored events to clean 172 tons of litter that should have never been thrown on the ground in Columbus neighborhoods to start with, and,
WHEREAS, studies indicate existing litter begets more litter, resulting in a belief by some that no one cares, which in turn can lead to additional blight, decreased property values and crime, and,
WHEREAS, despite the unrelenting hard work of thousands of volunteers, dozens of organizations, businesses and the City of Columbus every year, litter continues to return to Columbus neighborhoods, and,
WHEREAS, "Three Words About LitterÂ…Pick It Up" is a call-to-action anti-litter message to empower every citizen, regardless their age, income or where they live, to create and maintain clean neighborhoods and a clean city through social responsibility, and,
WHEREAS, "Three Words About LitterÂ…Pick It Up" compliments the hard work being done to eradicate litter and encourages people to just act on their own and Pick It Up, and,
WHEREAS, on April 12, 2014, the City of Columbus through Keep Columbus Beautiful will launch the first of an ongoing series of organized cleanups of major commercial corridors starting with a partnership with the Vineyard Church, and,
WHEREAS, when winter thaws and litter remains, April is the perfect month to remind people that litter is everyone's problem-so PICK IT UP!, now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That this Council does hereby declare the month of April 2014 to be Pick It Up Month in the City of Columbus.