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Brooklyn Park considers volunteer coordinator, district cleanups as staff report $135,000 in cleanup costs
Summary
City staff described adopt-a-park and adopt-a-street programs, one-time pickup supports, and enforcement limits; staff reported $135,000 in discarded-material handling costs last year and proposed options including a volunteer coordinator, contracting alternatives and district-based cleanups.
City staff told the Brooklyn Park City Council that existing community litter programs need more organized support and recommended returning with options to fund a coordinator or contract that would organize regular cleanups and coordinate volunteers across neighborhoods and county roads.
Cindy Devanishell, presenting community engagement work alongside Tim Brant, summarized current programs: an Adopt-a-Park program that covers a little more than half the parks, an Adopt-a-Street program now listed on the city website (no adoptees yet), one-time pickup supplies for groups, and event support such as Earth Day and a February plastic-free challenge. Devanishell told the council, “We do not have enough staff or time to pick up all of the litter that you’re gonna see in the city of Brooklyn Park. So we ask for your help.”
Operational costs and contracts were a central focus. Staff reported that the city spent $135,000 last year on discarded materials picked up by crews and contractors and that special collection efforts cost approximately $35,000. A separate line item for litter in landscape/median maintenance was about $6,200; the city also paid $16,500 to Sentence to Serve (STS) for litter pickup work. Staff noted Hennepin County uses STS in some areas as well.
Council members and staff discussed practical limits and next steps. Multiple council members urged a regular, visible schedule of volunteer cleanups — suggestions included a large spring kickoff tied to Earth Day and recurring biweekly or monthly efforts during warmer months, and a district-by-district approach during the summer. Staff cautioned that county and state highways pose safety and liability constraints for volunteer work and that county permission and coordination would be needed for any cleanup on county roadways.
Councilmembers and staff discussed whether the city should restore a volunteer coordinator position eliminated in past staffing changes, fund a part-time or full-time coordinator, or contract the work to nonprofits. Staff agreed to return with options and estimated costs; the council directed staff to research staffing and contracting choices and to report back with implementation options and budgets.
Staff and council members also discussed outreach to schools, churches and dog-walking networks as low-cost ways to sustain volunteer turnout, and using local business sponsorships (for example, small incentives from neighborhood businesses) to boost participation. No formal council motion or vote was taken at the work session; staff will bring cost and staffing options back for a future decision.
