The kind that no one misses until it’s gone.
No one realizes how clean the streets of Lebanese cities really are. And few people probably understand exactly what it takes to stay that way.However, residents of Lebanon right Note if the city has stopped operating street cleaning programs.
Without much publicity, the men and women of Lebanon’s street cleaning program work hard behind the scenes to keep the streets clean and litter-free while most of us sleep. increase. It’s a thankless job, but one that’s essential to a healthy lifestyle for all citizens.
Robin Goetz is the head of Lebanon’s public works sector, overseeing the work of the city’s street sweepers.
“I hope everyone appreciates it,” Goetz said. “It’s taxpayer money that goes into this program. I pay to keep it clean and tidy.
“What our city looks like is directly related to how people live there,” she continued. “It comes down to pride. If they live with respect, we know it. If they live with disrespect, we know it. But, There’s a lot of respect there.”
Admittedly, keeping the streets of Lebanon clean is no easy task.
The city is home to approximately 27,000 inhabitants, with thousands more using its complex system of streets and alleys on a daily basis. Lebanon covers an area of just her 9 square miles, but his 100 miles of roads are crammed into that relatively narrow quadrant.
“I think the overall goal of the program is to have clean streets, clean environments, and clean water,” Goetz said. “It’s for future generations. It’s not just for us. We have to be able to invest in the future.”
“Think of it this way: If you put a glass under the storm drain and it fills with water, would you take a straw and drink from it? Keeping the roads clean is very important. will go hand in hand with the other.”
Keeping Lebanon’s streets clean is just one of the jobs of the nine men and women who make up the city’s public works department. This is a task that typically takes about 40 man-hours each week from 7:00 am to 12:00 am on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and from 3:00 am to 6:00 am on Thursdays and Fridays.
In the past, the city’s street cleaning program was limited to a few months, from March to November. Now, however, it operates almost year-round, only being closed by the occasional winter storm or its debris.
“We’ve been asked by the DEP[the state Department of Environmental Protection]to control the debris from our vacuum cleaners,” says Getz. “We keep track of the amount of trash and rocks we clean.
“When you go through it, you find rocks and sediments and pebbles. There were plastic bottles, cigarette butts, grass clippings, things that bounced off trucks. You don’t want to see what’s there.”
If members of Lebanon’s public works sector are warriors in the fight against city filth, street sweepers are their most effective weapon.
The Public Works Department owns, maintains and operates a set of Elgin Street Sweepers. This year alone, machines like the Zamboni have collected more than 517 tons of debris, dirt and garbage from the streets of Lebanon.
“It takes coordination to operate it,” Goetz said. “A lot of the pieces work with an extra joystick. It’s not just about holding the steering wheel and pressing the accelerator and brake. There are some tight spots to get through, and tricks to turn them.”
“Parked cars can be a big problem,” she noted. There is no sign saying ‘You cannot park here due to road cleaning’. They say “no parking”. I think it’s difficult to move the car during strange hours. Parking is also at a premium on a regular basis. However, this is an important feature for many reasons. “
The history of the city’s street sweepers, and Lebanon’s street cleaning in general, is a bit vague. But Sweeper at least dates back 30 years to his early 1990s.
Goetz said he didn’t know exactly how Lebanon kept its streets clean before then.
“You could say that when I was a kid, I would come to town and everybody would be cleaning in front of the store,” Goetz said. “It was not uncommon to see the owners cleaning the sidewalks in front of their stores, and they worked together in downtown. They took pride in what they had. They thought that if they were clean, more people would come to their store.In those days it wasn’t disposable and there wasn’t a lot of plastic.Times have changed.Lifestyles have changed.
“I think the street sweepers have made a positive change,” she added. “You hear a lot of negative things about this city. We have nine people, and we’re always looking for ways to do it better and more efficiently.”
Sure, cleanliness may come next to piety, but civic pride and tidiness enjoy a similar symbiotic relationship. The influence of the public works sector and its street sweepers could be further strengthened with even modest public support.
“It’s not just the city of Lebanon’s fault,” Goetz said. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to take pride and ownership. You know when the street sweepers go. I think when the program works and everyone is working together, it makes a big difference.”
“I think a clean street is what it should be,” she concluded. “I think it’s a long road. It’s a way of hospitality. No matter where we live in the city, we have to be proud. It’s a city. When I’m not there, I’m proud. It’s my backyard. They work hard and don’t take their job lightly.”
Having a good place to live is something we can all agree on.
Questions about this story? Do you have suggestions for future LebTown articles? Contact the newsroom using the contact form below. We will do our best to contact you.
Do you support local news?
If you believe Lebanon County needs independent, quality journalism, consider joining LebTown as a member. Your support goes directly to articles like this and helps ensure our community has a reliable source of news for years to come.
For membership details, register now.
