A new pilot project is aiming to businesses on the Kamloops North Shore clean up litter and graffiti while building up skills of people who have struggled with life on the street.
The Clean Team pilot project is the result of conversations held by the North Shore Business Improvement Association since last fall.
City Councillors have approved the creation of a $30,241 service agreement for this 20-week pilot program, with that money coming from the province’s Strengthening Communities grant.
“The Clean Team will employ residents with lived experience that are building their employability and working towards a more secure lifestyle, including long term housing,” the City’s External Relations Manager, Sarah Candido, said in a report to Kamloops City Council.
“The team will get prioritized route direction from the City’s Crime Prevention Business Watch team and dispose of the collected waste management items into the North Shore Policing Office dumpsters where it will be collected by the City on a revised regular schedule.”
“The Team will have training in the proper handling of waste, SHARPS, feces, and graffiti removal, and be supervised by ASK Wellness and NSBIA staff,” Candido wrote, noting it will mean business owners won’t have to clean up things as “they are busy running their businesses.”
Candido told Council Tuesday that team members will help clean up the North Shore between four to seven days a week, from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. starting this month.
She also noted there will be four people on this team working daily with eight hired in total. A couple of members will be “in the ready” in the event of vacation or sick time, with team members being paid between $17 to $20 an hour, Candido said.
“The funding for the start of the program is primarily from an ASK Wellness existing grant that has been repurposed to pilot this exciting new lived experience program, with permission from the grantor,” Candido said.
That said, the City is also chipping in with $14,135 in in-kind donations, including $4,135 in basic cleaning supplies, and $10,000 in two vehicles near the end of its service life – a side-by-side and a pick up truck.
City staff will also increase how often if picks up waste from the North Shore Policing offices at a cost of about $4,000.
“The proposed service agreement includes a short term rental of a vehicle during the initial start-up while the fleet vehicle donation processes are completed,” Candido wrote. “The service agreement will also cover a pressure washer, garbage bags, fuel, cleaning/sanitizing liquids, painting supplies for graffiti repair, and other necessary items.”
“Wages for the Clean Team staff and other expenses will be covered by the ASK Wellness existing grant and WorkBC/Open Door Group.”
If the pilot is successful, City staff say the organizations involved along with the Canadian Mental Health Association hope to find a way to fund the project long term, with Councillors noting it could potentially expand to other parts of Kamloops.
More to come
