Chester launches block captain program and schedules citywide cleanup for Sept. 27

At the Sept. 10 council meeting, Justin Tibble, special assistant to Mayor Roots and adviser to the city’s new block captain program, invited residents to participate in a citywide Chester Bridal community cleanup scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27.

Tibble said the cleanup will run from 10 a.m. to noon at 11 sites across the city, with supplies (gloves, vests, trash bags, some trash pickers) provided at each site and dumpsters planned at multiple locations. Residents who prefer can clean their own block; registration is requested so staff can stage materials and manage supplies. A post-cleanup celebration will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Sun Village Park with refreshments, music and awards.

“Get your neighbors, get your organizations, your churches, places of worship — register ahead of time so we can prepare and have enough materials,” Tibble said. He described the program as a resident-led volunteer effort to beautify neighborhoods and maintain communication with city departments.

Licensing & Inspection director Nona (director of L&I) and other staff described enforcement and coordination efforts with landlords and code enforcement, saying the department responds to resident complaints and is developing additional programs to hold absentee and noncompliant landlords accountable.

Nut graf: The block captain program combines neighborhood cleanups with a two-way communication role between residents and city services, while Licensing & Inspection staff emphasized enforcement and outreach to address persistent property-maintenance problems.

Ending: Organizers asked residents to register for the Sept. 27 cleanup so the city can stage supplies; follow-up code enforcement and landlord accountability work will continue as staff and council pursue longer-term remedies.