FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 7, 2021

MEDIA CONTACTS

Tanisha Jumper, Media and Communications, tjumper@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5152

Stacy Ellifritt, Media and Communications, stacy.ellifritt@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2005

Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021 Starts Week of September 13

--This Initiative Includes City Cleanup Efforts in Neighborhood Business Districts, Around Gateways, Promotes Community Neighborhood Cleanup Resources and More--

Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards and City Council have initiated Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021. Starting Monday, September 13, and running through mid-November, City crews will be out on the main arterials of Neighborhood Business Districts to clean up litter/debris, perform graffiti removal, minor right-of-way landscaping, and street sweeping.

Vegetation management, litter pickup, and graffiti removal will also take place around the City’s six gateway signs located throughout Tacoma. In addition, the City is partnering with the Washington State Department of Transportation for assistance with graffiti removal and sweeping the shoulders of I-705, SR509, and SR7 between I-5 and South 38th Street.

“Over the past year and a half, the impacts of COVID-19 have reached far beyond public health. Tacoma businesses and the workers they employ have been deeply impacted by this pandemic,” said Mayor Woodards. “As visitors return to business districts, the City wants to ensure that shoppers, diners, and patrons encounter an environment that reflects the pride and care that each Tacoma business has put into persisting through COVID-19.”

The Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021 initiative has four areas of focus. This citywide cleanup effort will include Neighborhood Business Districts, gateways into Tacoma, promoting resources for community cleanups, and coordination with volunteers from Neighborhood Councils and Business District Associations to hold neighborhood cleanups throughout the city.

The City offers a variety of existing programs and services to residents interested in holding a community cleanup event. Services include the free Call-2-Haul program that can be used up to two times per year, Adopt-a-Spot, Neighborhood Litter Patrol programs, and more. For a list of Tacoma Neighborhood Cleanup Programs available to residents that aid in both personal and community-wide waste, visit cityoftacoma.org/cleanup.

For more information on Tidy-Up Tacoma 2021, including a full schedule of City crew cleanup locations and a list of community neighborhood cleanup resources, visit cityoftacoma.org/tidyup, or contact the TacomaFIRST 311 Customer Support Center by dialing 311 within Tacoma city limits or (253) 591-5000 from anywhere else.

###