Promises were made for a brighter, cleaner Flushing at a meeting held Friday by the Flushing Business Improvement District to tout the group’s new sanitation program.
The meeting, which was attended by City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) and Assemblywoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing), focused on the BID’s efforts to keep downtown Flushing clean and hospitable. Flushing BID Executive Director Dian Yu specifically spoke about a new program that cleans dirt and grime off garbage cans and mailboxes.
“The dirt on the bottom of these cans has collected over years, in some cases,” Yu said.
Cleaning garbage cans isn’t in the purview of the Department of Sanitation, so the BID hired an independent sanitation company to handle the job. The BID had done this in the past, but Yu said that the previous contracted company had “overpromised” in their efforts to clean the area.
According to Yu, the new program, which includes power washing affected receptacles once every two weeks, is expected to be fully implemented in the spring.
The BID also promoted a new advertising and awareness campaign to discourage littering and to encourage responsible environmental behavior. In conjunction with the World Journal, the BID will be placing “Keep Flushing Clean and Green” banners in high-traffic areas around the neighborhood.
“The banners are meant to encourage people to do their part in helping keep downtown Flushing clean,” Yu said. “This is something that we are all responsible for.”
He also addressed potholes that drivers in downtown Flushing face. He noted that the Department of Transportation had filled in some that the BID had previously pointed out, most notably one in the busy intersection of Main Street and Roosevelt Avenue, but said that there were still more than 25 that need to be filled.
Yu thanked organizations that have helped in the cleanup effort such as the Boon Christian Broadcasting Center, a Flushing church whose members sweep streets on Sundays.
“If everyone chips in for this effort, we can have a clean community that will be the envy of the city,” Yu said.
Both Meng and Koo praised the BID’s efforts but noted that its job is not done.
“This is an ongoing project and there’s still work to be done, but I think what has been accomplished so far has been great,” Meng said.
“Keeping downtown Flushing clean is important for all of the small businesses that are the backbone of Flushing’s economy,” Koo said. “This is going to be a long and continuous process and it is important that the Business Improvement District, city, and the people of Flushing work together.”
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