Citizen Involvement Activities
We have a wide variety of activities that can keep our citizens involved:
Adopt-A-Stream
MDEQ currently has a successful program in which citizens can volunteer to take an active role in preserving water quality for particular streams and other water bodies. An individual or a group can sign up to adopt a stream and receive training from MDEQ to coordinate everything from watershed clean-up activities to actual monitoring and evaluation of the water body. The level of involvement depends on the volunteer. The city will serve as a liaison between interested citizens and MDEQ staff by advertising this opportunity on the city’s storm water website page and posting information at city hall, the post office, and the library.
Public Storm Water Meetings
Meetings will be held for the general public to discuss storm water issues and the SWMP. This is an opportunity for all stakeholders to learn more about storm water management and to provide input to the SWMP and its operation. One meeting will be held in January every year which is timed to provide input before the annual report is submitted to MDEQ. The meeting will be advertised in the local newspaper, and contact will be made to all registered property owners associations, local registered environmental groups, and anyone who requests in writing to be placed on a contact list. Citizens who take part in the meetings will be able to directly influence the content and operation of the SWMP.
Tree Planting Week
Trees enhance water quality by reducing temperature in receiving water bodies, increasing infiltration, reducing soil erosion, and filtering out some pollutants. There are also many other benefits of trees in urban settings including reducing air and noise pollution. The city will provide a minimum of fifty (50) trees to local citizens for planting within the city. The city’s tree planting week is an annual event and will be done during the month of February. This will be advertised in the local newspaper prior to the event.
City Clean-Up Days
The city will coordinate clean-up days to involve the public in picking up trash and debris from city right-of-way and other property. This effort will reduce the amount of debris that reaches the streams in town and increase the public desire to maintain clean streets and drainage ways. The city-wide clean-up is an annual event and will take place during the month of April. The city will provide all necessary trash bags and dumpsters to dispose of the waste. The event will be advertised in the local newspaper and banners will be attached to dumpsters placed throughout town.
Information Displays
Brochures or fact sheets covering storm water issues will be displayed in city hall.
