Litter Committee Minutes
March 27, 2004

The Litter Committee met on March 27th, Sally Gagne, Lauren Page, Kathleen McRoberts and Ed Murtagh were present.

The Litter Committee agree that we need to urge all Friends members to join in the Trash Barrel Rally this Saturday at Candy Cane Park to show support for Tom Perez’s resolution for returning trash barrels to parks. The Litter Committee also believes that it is important for the various watershed and citizen groups to work together to get our trash barrels returned. The Litter Committee was going to have representatives attending rally. Lynn Rhinehart agreed to say a few words at the rally. Lauren suggested that we take the FOSC banner to the event. Lauren to locate FOSC banner, and Kathleen can pickup this evening or early tomorrow am.

Bring Back the Trash Cans Rally

Candy Cane City Park, corner of Beach Drive and East-West Highway

This Saturday, 9:30 – 10 am

Planning for the Potomac Watershed Clean-Up on April 3 is going smoothly. Sections 3, 6, and 9 will participate. Several groups are interested in coming out, including scout groups and LeadAmerica students and the Burgundy Crescent Volunteers and there may be at least a hundred volunteers if the weather is good. We discussed sending clean up teams to Sections that are not participating. All Friends of Sligo members are urged to save the date. We need to send a reminder to the FOSC list serve. Kathleen or Ed to do today.

April 3rd, sweep the creek event: we need to locate the sign in sheets Ed or Lauren to locate. Also, insurance clearance to be confirmed, Ed or Sally to confirm and validate.

The present status of the M-NCPPC plan for an Anti-Litter Campaign in the Park is unknown. We suppose it may depend on whether or not trash barrels are returned. Even if trash barrels are returned, it is important that this effort not be abandoned.

Lively discussion was held on what, if anything, can be done about litter in streets in the Sligo watershed. The Committee feels this would be a good time to initiate an Anti-Litter Campaign for the streets, to complement the possible Park Campaign. Representatives from the Litter Committee will attend the April 1 community meeting to address street litter. Leaders in the community and County government representatives will be attending. The Committee is hoping that having a diverse group meeting to address this issue, effective partnerships, innovative ideas and a action plan will be the outcome of the meeting. We would truly value your opinion and ideas for an effective campaign. Please brainstorm – sometimes unworkable ideas can be turned into great ones! Contact Sally, [email protected]

Ideas discussed included:

  1. Means of getting commercial property and storeowners to take actions to reduce litter that originates from either their property or products.
  2. Installing grates or modifying storm drains that screen litter from the stormwater, particularly in roads in commercial area.
  3. Means of motivating residential communities to take pride in their communities and keeping their streets clean.
  4. Ideas on addressing trash collection contractors who in their rush to get their route finished spill trash all along the route.

Create photo album for snapshots of street litter in and on Sligo Creek Parkway, along the creek & road on both sides. All of us should bring our pictures to Sally, and she will assemble presentation. Please complete and deliver to Sally by Mar. 31st.

The meeting ended with a discussion on the importance of having an up-to-date database and working to develop contacts in the various watershed communities.

In general, having a list of active List serves of groups, communities, and business’ to distribute global announcements – currently a master list does not exist, and Kathleen will begin to research and assemble list. And acquire key contacts & personnel of lists, as well as, acquire permission to e-mail lists from time to time with messages of news and activities.

Lenore Boulet has some information, which she is putting into the existing database. Lauren is currently providing her items as she ferret them out of the woodpile. A brainstorming session with the three of us (and anyone else!) would be most beneficial and help to ensure we’re not duplicating efforts!