Published: March 12, 2008 11:05 pm         

Officials set to tighten the rules of Enid’s city beautification project

The term spring cleaning has a special meaning for City Manager Eric Benson.

Last year, Benson drew both ire and praise for a citywide cleanup program he started. That program, which had been urged by businesses in Enid, was declared a success, but city officials found ways they could do it better.

The second round of the cleanup program will begin next month, and some of the things allowed last year will be eliminated this year.

“We’re going to consider making it an infraction to pick through trash on the curb. Last year people went through the trash placed on the curb, and some of it got picked through and ended up all over town,” Benson said. “It goes from one garage or backyard to another.”

Benson said the city’s purpose is not to reshuffle trash but to clean it up. Code enforcement also may be a little more forceful than it was last year, he said. The city has made a substantial investment in the cleanup program and wants it to continue, he said.

Public Service Director Jim McClain said Wednesday he still is preparing maps of locations where the cleanup largely will be concentrated. Cleanup areas will be on both the east and west sides of town.

Another consideration this year is if the city has to come to a person’s house three times in a year to tell the resident to clean up, the fine could double, Benson said.

“It’s time we took control of this issue,” he said. “The most impassioned issue in this town is cleanup and our appearance. We’re going to have to be proactive in establishing an acceptable standard of social behavior, and that includes cleanliness.”

Some elements of the cleanup system are being refined and may come to Enid City Commission for consideration as soon as next week. Among the changes are a proposed ordinance dealing with inoperable vehicles and the maximum number of cars per lot. Some concern has been expressed by people who have no place to park. They cannot park in their yard or at the curb, and the driveway is not large enough to accommodate all of their vehicles. Benson said there may be some consideration about how to solve that issue and establish some type of street parking policy.

Another program will step up education on use of polycarts the city has distributed as a pilot program for regular trash pickup. Benson said carts soon will be distributed in another area of town to see how well they are accepted. Carts were distributed on the east side of Enid originally.

The carts are part of an automated trash pickup system. On collection day, people roll their carts out to the street and a truck comes along and lifts the carts with an automatic arm.

“Some people believe the trash should stay right there on the curb forever. The polycarts aren’t meant for that. They should stay at the rear of the house, not in front,” he said.