Ironton Mayor Katrina Keith is planning an attack on the city’s trash and litter problem.

At Thursday night’s city council meeting, she outlined a four-pronged attack plan called Team Up to Clean Up; free services, cleanup events, accountability and planting.

“We broke it down to four phases and we are going to attack the whole city of Ironton,” Keith said.

The first phase would be the events the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District will be doing including a tire amnesty day next Saturday, a prescription drug take back day on April 13 and an electronic waste and document shred day on May 11. All three of those events will be at Ironton Hills Plaza.

“Those services are free,” Keith said. “They have also placed recycling centers at Ohio University Southern, the Lawrence County Educational Service Center on North Second Street and one in back of the city center.”

There will also be a Lawrence County cleanup day on May 4 and the Lawrence County River Sweep on June 15.

Phase 2 is Ironton’s beautification day.

“St. Joseph school is bringing their entire school back to downtown Ironton on May 3 and they are going to attack our business district. We appreciate that partnership with Father Huffman and Maria Whaley at St. Joe schools,” Keith said. “The next day, civic groups can come and be part of a cleanup day at the riverfront.”
She said they would be focusing on the entrances to Ironton.

The third phase is giving Ironton residents a chance to get rid of trash and litter that may be sitting around yards, garages and closets.

“May 6-11, we are offering free dumpsters,” Keith said, adding the dumpsters will be located at the Orchard Street area by Storm Creeks Bridge. The bins will be behind a gate and people will have to show proof of residency with an ID card or Ironton utility bill. She added there are some things that cannot be dumped including electronics, tires, batteries, gasoline, paint or any other harmful byproduct. Construction materials will not be accepted either.

“That, too, will be free to the citizens of Ironton,” she said.

Keith said the fourth phase is accountability.

“Now that we have offered these free services, we will canvas the entire city of Ironton,” she said, adding crews will go through the town and identify every property that is violating the city’s dumping laws and the owner will get a warning letter. “If they do not correct it, Ironton Municipal Court Judge Kevin Waldo and Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson have agreed that if we cite these people into court they will prosecute them. So, free services and accountability at the same time.”

Phase Four will be “the planting of pride.”

“On May 13, Ironton In Bloom will begin their plant sales and we will start planting flowers in the big planters around town.”

She said she would be on Facebook Live to explain the Team Up to Clean Up efforts.

Anyone interested in being a part of the cleanup could meet in the lobby of the Ironton City Center at 1 p.m. on Monday.