Comprehensive Community Cleanup Program Fact Sheet

The program is designed to revitalize, enhance, and help maintain unincorporated areas of the County. The Department of Environmental Resources (DER) works with organized Civic and Homeowners Associations to provide a concentrated focus of County cleanup and maintenance services to their community over a two-week period. This program, which was originally established in 1986, currently provides twenty-one cleanup phases annually (one cleanup phase equals < 1000 single family detached homes or townhouses).

Services Provided

• Housing Code Inspection / Zoning Inspection (by DER, Community Services Division)
  Common violations include:
  • exterior property being used to store trash, debris, furniture, appliances, tires, or building material
  • flaking or peeling paint
  • high grass and weeds (over 12 inches)
  • firewood stored on the ground
  • fence, roof, shed, swimming pool, porch, or steps in disrepair
  • broken or missing windows
  • rats/rodents on the premises
  • motor vehicles with expired tags
  • commercial vehicles parked on residential zoned property
  • motor vehicle repair on residential zoned property
  • operating a business (excludes Home Occupations) from residential zoned property

  Property owners are given thirty days to bring the property into compliance. At the end of that time, should the property still be found to be in violation of the Code, the County will seek a Court order to ensure compliance after an additional fifteen days.

• Tagging & Towing of Abandoned Vehicles (DER, Vehicle Audit unit) The County will tag all abandoned vehicles on public streets. An abandoned vehicle is one which does not display proper tags or the vehicle is wrecked, dismantled or inoperable. Tagged vehicles not brought into compliance will be towed after a minimum wait of forty-eight hours.
• Bulky Trash Collection (DER, Waste Management Division) On a pre-designated day, the County will perform a curbside collection of large items which are not normally collected by the regular trash contractor such as furniture, refrigerators (with the door removed), washing machines, hot water heaters, and other similar items.
• Tree Trimming [Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T), Office of Highway Maintenance] The County will send a crew foreman to do a preliminary survey of all trees located within the public road right-of-way. Trees will be identified for future trimming to meet the following specifications: remove all branches lower than seven feet above the sidewalk, ten feet above the curb, and twelve feet above the road; remove all dead or diseased branches, leaders or the entire tree if necessary.
• Roadside Litter Collection (DPW&T, Office of Highway Maintenance) The County will send a crew foreman to do a preliminary survey and, if necessary, will direct a crew to pick up litter within the public road right-of-way.
• Storm Drain Maintenance (DPW&T, Office of Highway Maintenance) The County will send an inspector to check the storm drain system within the neighborhood. If necessary, storm drain inlets will be cleaned and repaired.
• Storm Drain Water Quality Testing/ Watershed Survey (DER, Environmental Services Division) The County will send an inspector to conduct a watershed survey and check the storm drain system for water pollution/illegal discharge. If an abnormal discharge is detected, water samples will be taken and tested for pollutants at a County lab. If pollutants are present, the inspector will search for the source and take corrective action.
• Program Administration (DER, Environmental Services Division) The County coordinates the scheduling of all services provided during the cleanup and prints flyers with calendar of services, program guidelines, and community map. It is necessary for the Civic or Homeowners Association to distribute the flyers or publish a copy in its community newsletter. The County also encourages each participating community to organize and conduct its own community-sponsored environmental enhancement project during the scheduled cleanup period. Volunteers may organize and participate in activities such as storm drain stenciling projects, stream cleanups, neighborhood cleanups, or tree plantings. These projects help to maintain a sense of stewardship and neighborhood pride. DER will work with the community to identify potential projects and offer technical assistance to volunteers.

Note: Leaf Collection and Street Sweeping (DPW&T) are no longer included as part of the program, but are still provided by DPW&T on an independent basis.