Leflore County Board of Supervisors President Reginald Moore has developed a plan to address the litter problem throughout the county and is asking for help from Greenwood’s leaders and others in the community.
“I come with a grave concern, something that should trouble everyone in this room, and that is our litter problem,” Moore, who represents the county’s District 2, told Greenwood City Council members Tuesday during their meeting. “I have never seen it to the point where it has grown.”
Moore showed pictures of litter throughout the county during his presentation.
Acknowledging past efforts to clean up the county that usually have fizzled out after a day or two, Moore said his cleanup project, called Reclamation 2021, is designed as a long-term endeavor involving the city, the county and the citizens.
One initiative of Moore’s cleanup project would be for all officials, including the Board of Supervisors, the City Council and department heads, to come together for a public service announcement that would be broadcast on TV and radio and printed in the newspaper, Moore said.
Additionally, Moore suggested that local leaders do walkthroughs throughout the community to show residents they are concerned about alleviating the litter problem and take residents’ suggestions on what to do.
He proposed giving $300 to churches and other nonprofit groups to fund cleanups in areas where litter is particularly problematic. These projects would be staggered.
Moore said that the Delta Health Alliance, a health nonprofit based in Stoneville, has pledged to contribute $3,000.
He said he intends to ask the Board of Supervisors at its meeting Monday to donate $3,000 and asked the council members if they would agree to do the same.
Mayor Carolyn McAdams and the council were receptive to Moore’s idea, and the council’s president, Ronnie Stevenson, told Moore that they intend to pass a resolution during its first meeting next month to donate $3,000.
Moore said he’d like to see a contract signed between the city, the county and the residents at large as a way for all stakeholders to agree to invest more time and resources to address the problem.
Moore said the project would be assessed every three months.
He said litter creates a culture in which people don’t care and can lead to feelings of hopelessness.
“Is this type of environment conducive to the growth and development of our youth?” he asked.
If the answer is “no,” he said, then residents should pitch in to help keep the county clean.
•Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
