Litter Is Public Enemy No. 1 in Gulfport

To deter people from tossing out trash in Gulfport, city leaders passed a litter fine increase Tuesday. The change increases fines from $93 to $143 and from $138 to $188.

During Tuesday night's City Council discussion about increasing litter fines, several residents came forward with concerns and questions about the number of public trash cans in Gulfport, the lack of signage about litter fines and more.

Ann Marie Anderson said the city needs to add more trash cans on Beach Boulevard. "I've been in this city for seven years now. Six out of the seven, I have gone to City Hall and spoken with different City Managers, we need more barrels on Beach Boulevard; right now there's a barrel on 29th Ave South, and the next one that you see would be in front of the Beach Bazaar."

Al Davis presented the Council with two photos of a PSTA bus stop on Gulfport Blvd. S. and 52nd Ave S. The photo showed paper cups and other trash strewn near the bench. "This stuff is mostly non-biodegradable stuff." (The photo presented is attached to this article.) "This is the bus stop closest to City Hall," Davis said. Davis added that the city should add propert signage to alert people of the fine and tell them not to litter.

Davis pointed out that another bus stop located in front of Habana Cafe, also on Gulfport Blvd., was "emaculate," stating that the business must be keeping it clean.

City Manager James O'Reilly said that PSTA used to have a trash can at that bus stop, but because of cutbacks has removed it.

Davis also added that the city needs to take responsibility for the litter in town. "No signage, no violations that we know, of, it continues to get worse."

Gerry O'Regan addressed similar concerns about not having signs. "No where in the city are the posters indicating that there is a fine."

There is "one at the beach, that's it," he said. "No where do we have signage that explains the penalty."

O'Regan said he spoked with a friend in New York who took a photo of a trash can there.

"He took a photo of a trash can with a wrap around the can, that says $100 fine on it. It's very explicit, it doesn't cite the ordinance, but it lets you know plain and simple. I think we have a responsibility to have appropriate signage," O'Regan said.

Council member Barbara Banno said that it's clear citizens are passionate and care about cleaning up litter in the city, and that perhaps the city can look into how much it would cost to add a trash can at that particular bus stop.

What's being done?

As a result of citizen concerns, O'Reilly says the city is looking into the trash can requests.

"We’re looking at, we’re putting together a price, cost associated with adding additional cans in the Beach Boulevard area and also (in) the proximity to the bus stops," O'Reilly said.

O'Reilly said the Parks and Sanitation departments will head this project. Although this is a "wish list", O'Reilly says everything will "be mostly cost related."

As for possibly adding signs that explain the litter fine? O'Reilly responds, "The City is in the process of developing comprehensive stand alone signage that references prohibited activities and the associated respective ordinance."