Gadsden City starts spring-cleaning push, asks residents to report issues through Hay Gadsden app

Gadsden City Mayor Craig Ford said the city has launched a spring-cleaning initiative that will visit neighborhoods across the city — including Mill Village, Walnut Park, Nakalua, Tuscaloosa Avenue and the Carver community — and complete curb and gutter cleanups, paint street stripes and fire hydrants, and increase police and animal-control presence.

The effort is scheduled to reach each neighborhood before May 1, Mayor Craig Ford said. He described the work as a mix of city crews and coordinated activity with police, animal control and the fire department, and asked residents to report locations that need attention through the Hay Gadsden app.

"It'll geofence the exact location of what you're reporting. Take a picture of it. It's very simple. You can do it on an iPhone or an Android, and it's very simple," Mayor Craig Ford said, adding, "If I can do it, anybody can do it." He said the app has already led to fixes in reports he submitted since the city launched it.

Ford said the city is restarting painting of fire hydrants and that police will make door-to-door contacts in some neighborhoods as part of the cleanups. He also said animal-control officers are increasing patrols after a recent problem with loose dogs and an incident in which someone left animals on Nakalua Mountain; the person received a citation.

The mayor urged residents to work with the local humane society when possible for animal adoptions and to use the app to report issues so the city can track and follow up on requests.

The city emphasized that the spring-cleaning work is being directed at neighborhood-level problems and will not necessarily be organized strictly by council district.