An initiative I put to our administration not long after starting as an elected member, prompted by suggestions from one of our residents is about to be trialled. The apparently will mean we will be the first council adopting a pre-alert street sweep system.
Our depot manager indicated in a ward briefing last night that they had researched the possibility of communicating with selected residents within each zone we have for street sweeping prior to going to this zone.
The purpose of such a system is to alert our residents that we are due to sweep their particular street. By doing so residents who have an interest in ensuring their street is clean can organise to have cars that may prevent a full clean are kept out of the way. It also provides an opportunity for those who wish so to do, to personally sweep their footpath into the gutters.
We have determined that the method of contact could be either by mobile phone (via text), email, Facebook or Twitter. This is a system not unlike that used by the CFS to warn hills residents of a pending bushfire.
Goodwood South is the first ward to hear this news. Other ward councillors will be briefed over the next month at their respective ward briefings.
While this is happening we ask those in our ward who would like to be included in the trial to let us know. Reply to this blog or send me an email and I will ensure your name is on the list.
And a big thank you to our administration, whose first reaction to this suggestion was it would be too hard. I am pumped that they have taken the time and trouble to investigate this initiative.
This, if successful, should be a bonus too for those on our staff that do the seemingly thankless job of cleaning our streets. Often seen by residents as a service that is not provided because they do not see the street sweeper in action and believe they have not been because another wind has blown more leaves into the street, we might now see residents tangibly appreciate the work of these guys. I don,t think it is a job I would want.
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