By Tim McCarthy
tmccarthy@haverhillgazette.com
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This summer, Haverhill's mayor is on patrol to clean up the city's streets.
Mayor James Fiorentini has begun canvassing city streets in the early morning hours as part of his new program "Operation Clean Summer".
"If you have a dirty city, no one wants to move there," he said.
Rolling down the streets in his Ford Mustang before heading to City Hall each morning, the mayor runs his eyes along the city's sidewalks to inspect for the overgrowth of weeds or to see if the city's street sweepers have passed through the area recently. When possible, he swings through the city's parking garages to inspect for litter.
Above all, however, he's making sure residents are following trash codes.
"Operation Clean Summer" is an effort shared among the Health and Inspection Services, Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments that is intended to increase adherence to trash and cleaning regulations. Specifically, the mayor hopes to increase enforcement of trash and parking laws as well as increase street sweeping frequency within the downtown area and throughout the city. City street sweepers will clean the city streets at least twice a week.
Bonnie Dufresne of the Haverhill Health Department said that within a three-month period the city had received more than 121 trash complaints, noted 79 violations and distributed 14 tickets. She said that the mayor has asked the health and inspection services department to increase its monitoring of these violations in light of Haverhill's recycling efforts.
The emphasis making Haverhill a "green" city includes making sure streets aren't littered with debris.
In addition to increased monitoring of standing regulations, new ordinances will go into effect Sept. 13. These include:
A reduction in the number of trash containers allowed, from five to three
A ban on industrial or commercial waste collected curbside
A ban on trash or recycling being put curbside before 4 p.m. the day before pickup
An increase in minimum ticket fines, from $25 to $50.
Local business owners are also to begin increasing how frequently the sweep the sidewalks in front of their businesses.
Mike Stankovich, director of Public Works, said shop owners should sweep into the street rather than into the storm drains to allow the city's sweepers to sweep more efficiently.
"It's a cooperative approach," he said.
Those found in violation of the codes will be warned first if they have no prior violations. The second report, however, will result in a ticket between $50 to $300.
City Trails Coordinator Mark Sheehan has been hired part-time as an inspector for the health department for this program. Parks and Recreation Director Vincent Ouellette said that he's been coordinating with the Essex County Sheriff's Department to bring in community service volunteers to help with sweeping and weeding.
Fiorentini said he intends to start placing signs throughout the downtown area in order bring awareness to the downtown sweeping and the parking regulations.
According to the mayor's office, the city sent 36 trash citations within the first week of starting the program. Before the stepped-up enforcement, six would be sent in a typical week..
Fiorentini said he plans to compile data recording how many trash tickets are issued and what streets have been swept into a statistical analysis program called "HaverhillStat."
