The City of Owen Sound is starting its spring clean-up operations.
The city says the sweeping program kicked off on March 30, and staff are working to clean municipal-owned paved roads, which include bridges, catch basins and gutters, as well as hard-surfaced boulevards and medians. The programs also includes the cleaning of city sidewalks and pathways, recreation trails, municipal parking lots, and other city facilities.
Starting in May, two additional sweepers will hit the streets to assist with the program.
The city says residents can help these operations by keeping their vehicle off residential streets to avoid blocking street sweeping, placing garbage containers and recycling boxes away from the road edge, and keeping sport equipment off the road and far enough away from the curb.
In addition, starting in May city staff will begin to repair lawns and boulevards which were damaged by snow removal operations over the winter.
The city says during the week of May 9-13, sidewalks in the River District will also be pressure-washed.
The litter pick-up which started March 1 in the River District, will continue throughout the spring and summer months
With the removal of the Noma lights, they will be replaced with summer banners at the 9th Street and 1st Avenue East corner and the Percy England Parkette.
Staff will also be starting to clean up the garden areas along the east Bayshore wall in April, with new plants set for later this spring.
Harrison Park is seeing the reinstallation of basketball nets at its courts, and park staff are starting to do their inspection of trails, playgrounds, and ball diamonds to plan for spring maintenance.
Litter and debris clean-up has also started at Harrison Park , Kelso Beach, Stoney Orchard, Centennial Town, and neighbourhood parks. The city adds as Centennial Town has been vandalized, the graffiti needs to be removed before it opens.
Greenwood Cemetery has also seen the start of spring clean-up, which includes hedge trimming, interlocking brick repair at the columbarium garden, and fence painting and replacement.
East and west docks will be put in place this month for boaters should the weather permit.
Next week (April 18), playground wood fiber ground cover will be replaced in parks.
