RESOLUTION NO. RS2012-173

A resolution recognizing Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup and designating March, April and May 2012 as “Great American Cleanup Months” in Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.

WHEREAS, Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program, takes place annually in the spring, from March 1 through May 31, it is estimated that more than three million volunteers of all ages will be taking on the nationwide challenge to "pick up, spruce up, and paint up" during the Annual Great American Cleanup; and

WHEREAS, the Metro Beautification and Environment Commission, a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, will assist volunteers in communities throughout the area of the Metropolitan Government as they join together to help cleanup unsightly litter and debris as the 28th Annual Great American Cleanup gets underway in Nashville and Davidson County during the months of March, April and May 2012; and

WHEREAS, the Metro Beautification and Environment Commission was selected by Keep America Beautiful as one of 10 top performing affiliates across the country to participate in a national day of service to be held on April 28, 2012 during the Great American Cleanup. Nashville, along with Indianapolis, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Shreveport, Oakland, Norfolk, and Los Angeles are the participating cities. All residents of Metro Government are invited to join the cleanup, beautification and community improvement activities scheduled for our local area on that date; and

WHEREAS, the Tennessee Department of Transportation in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful, Incorporated has adopted the slogan “Tennessee’s Had Enough” and Metro Beautification and Environment Commission has adopted the slogan “Cleaning Is Everybody’s Business – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” to raise the awareness of the public’s civic responsibility to show love for their community by help keeping it clean; and

WHEREAS, Keep America Beautiful is a non-profit organization whose network of local, statewide and international affiliate programs educate individuals about litter prevention and beautification and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and properly manage waste materials; and

WHEREAS, under the organization and leadership of the Metro Beautification and Environment Commission, local activities this spring will include roadside cleanups, illegal dumpsite removals, recycling events, waterway cleanups, graffiti abatement, illegal sign removal, park cleanup, tree and flower beautification, consumer clean-up education in schools and at community meetings and removing litter and winter debris from neighborhoods, parks, playgrounds, schools and other public lands; and

WHEREAS, volunteers know they really make a visible difference in Nashville and in their communities, as evidenced by the 28,988 volunteers who put in 89,964 volunteer hours, participating in 141 events and collecting 108,580 pounds of roadside trash and debris, and 74,915 pounds of waterway trash and debris, 10 graffiti abatements and removed over 6,000 illegal signs during the 2011 Great American Cleanup, and it gives a new sense of hometown pride and accomplishment, setting an example that can help change attitudes about littering and even prevent litter in the first place; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognize the efforts of the Metropolitan Beautification and Environment Commission and Keep America Beautiful by designating the months of March, April and May 2012 as "Great American Cleanup Months" within the area of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County and designating Saturday, April 28, 2012 as the Great American Cleanup nation-wide day of service under the affiliate, Metro Beautification and Environment Commission in Nashville, Tennessee, who will host the featured event of volunteer activities.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY.

Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as recognizing Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup and designating March, April and May 2012 as “Great American Cleanup Months” in Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.

Section 2. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as recognizing Saturday, April 28, 2012 as the Great American Cleanup Nation-wide Day of Service under the chosen affiliate Metropolitan Beautification and Environment Commission.

Section 3. The Metropolitan Council Office is directed to prepare a copy of this Resolution to Beautification and Environment Commissioner Barbara Mathieson, Chair, on behalf of all the Beautification and Environment Commissioners and Veronica Frazier, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Beautification and Environment Commission division of Metropolitan Public Works.

Section 4. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Frank Harrison, Karen Johnson

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Referred to:	Rules & Confirmations Committee
Introduced:	March 6, 2012
Adopted:	March 6, 2012
Approved:	March 7, 2012
By: