Neighborhood board sets April 11 cleanup after residents report highway and back-road litter

The District 1 neighborhood board in Laredo set a community cleanup for April 11 after residents reported ongoing litter along a highway corridor and adjacent back roads leading toward the university area.

Board members and staff heard a public comment at the April 1 meeting describing large amounts of trash accumulating near University Boulevard and at a back-road route identified near “Casa Verde.” Staff reminded residents that 311 is the formal channel for city-property cleanup requests and said the city can dispatch public-works crews for locations that are city-owned. Board members also said neighborhood groups may borrow cleanup kits from the board for small cleanups.

Speakers cautioned volunteers about safety and liability: the board noted that volunteers should not work in active travel lanes and that city rules limit volunteer access on certain highway stretches for safety reasons. To address bulky items such as tires and appliances that volunteers cannot transport, board members discussed requesting a city truck or arranging a bulky-item pickup through the proper public-works process.

Logistics agreed in the meeting included a tentative meetup near the University Boulevard parking plaza and an 8:00 a.m. start on April 11, with further coordination to occur via the board’s group chat. The board asked volunteers to sign up and to take photos after the cleanup for outreach and recordkeeping.

Also raised at the meeting was a separate park maintenance issue: a leaning tree at Bartlett Park with an orange rope was reported; staff said they would notify maintenance to inspect and repair the tree.

Next steps: board staff will share the final meeting point and safety guidance with volunteers, encourage residents to call 311 for city-property pickups, and coordinate any needed truck or bulky-item support.