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Commission weighs signage, cigarette-receptacle and outreach steps to curb downtown litter
Summary
Commissioners flagged heavy cigarette-butt litter downtown and discussed surveying retail areas for trash containers, adding more cigarette receptacles, digital PSAs and coordinating nonregulatory beautification signs with Public Works; staff noted an existing cigarette-recycling collection program.
Commissioners told the Clean City Commission they are seeing ‘‘lots of cigarette butts downtown’’ and discussed several low-cost measures to reduce litter, including targeted signage, adding cigarette receptacles and expanding public-awareness messaging.
Chair raised the cigarette-butt concentration as the primary downtown litter issue and proposed a survey of high-trash businesses to assess receptacle and trash-can availability. Public Works staff advised the commission that many beautification signs are nonregulatory and that the city must limit nonregulatory signage; staff recommended the commission identify locations and desired wording so Public Works can advise on installation and approval requirements.
Staff member Tim said the commission previously purchased small cigarette receptacles for downtown merchants and is storing filled units in a prepaid recycling box. Tim said the program has been active and, approximately, "we've got literally close to 1000 of them," noting that number as an approximate inventory and that receptacle contents are sent for recycling when boxes are filled.
Commissioners agreed to pursue a combination of measures — a short digital PSA and app/email notifications, a focused survey of downtown businesses, and a review of signage options with Public Works — and asked staff to return with a count of existing receptacles and a cost estimate for purchasing more units.
The commission also briefly discussed whether a downtown no-smoking zone is feasible; they asked staff to research legalities and return with options rather than taking immediate action.
