By Brenna Angel
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wuky/local-wuky-953052.mp3
LEXINGTON, Ky. – An Urban County council member wants Lexington residents to step up to the plate when it comes cleaning up the city.
Council member Jay McChord admits he's a little obsessed with picking up litter, especially when he's out for a jog in his neighborhood off Clays Mill Road. It's a practice McChord would like everyone to get in the habit of doing, because he says government can't do it all.
"Why not move back to personal responsibility? And it's something as simple as pick up one piece of trash you would have normally walked by that day, and if it's recyclable, throw it in a recycle bin."
McChord presented the idea of establishing a personal responsibility campaign at Thursday's meeting of the Keep Lexington Beautiful Commission.
A second part of McChord's proposal calls for the increased use of inmate labor to cleanup illegal dumpsites.
"We need to coordinate internally how we would do this illegal dump site cleanup using inmate labor and using resources that we already have."
Non-violent offenders are already used to pick up litter along some Lexington roadways. Commission member and code enforcement officer David Jarvis showed pictures at the meeting of several dumps across the city, where people leave everything from tires to dead animals.
The Keep Lexington Beautiful Commission plans to incorporate the council member's suggestions as it gears up for the annual Great American Cleanup this spring.