Clean Sweep program expanding

By Dale Woodard on April 22, 2021.

Sweeping changes – the good kind – are coming to an initiative provided by The City of Lethbridge and Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone.
In a move that will double its workforce, the City and the BRZ have announced the expansion of the Clean Sweep Program with the addition of two new full-time foremen, increasing the number of daily stipend workers and operating an additional two days a week.
In the past, the Clean Sweep Program offered a maximum of five individuals experiencing homelessness the opportunity to engage in employment-related activities such as cleaning up garbage, sweeping sidewalks, shoveling snow, needle clean-up and cleaning alleyways of debris and weeds in Downtown Lethbridge Monday through Friday.
With the addition of two full-time foremen, each foreman will mentor and guide a team of up to five individuals – doubling the number of daily stipend workers taking part in the program.
The program will also expand by operating seven days a week and will service select hotspot locations beyond the downtown ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for patrons and business owners daily.
The Clean Sweep Program’s budget of $225,000 annually is funded by the City of Lethbridge.
The Downtown Lethbridge BRZ took on the role of CSP administrator in 2007 ensuring that downtown businesses and patrons enjoyed a clean and safe downtown while at the same time providing meaningful job experience for Lethbridge’s unhoused population.
“This is a great opportunity,” said Andrew Malcolm, City of Lethbridge Urban Revitalization Manager.
“It’s something that has been on our radar since the Community Wellness and Safety Strategy was approved as well as the Downtown Clean and Safe Strategy. The Clean Sweep Program has been doing some great things in our downtown community since 2007 under the leadership of the BRZ, but even before that when it was operated out of the shelter.”
The CSP program expansion has been able to effectively double the amount of hours of cleanup without additional funding being provided by the City of Lethbridge by a combination of implementing program efficiencies and integrating aspects of the program with the needle collection program, funded separately by the Province of Alberta.
“There is some great synergy between the two programs and it’s cost savings we’ve been able to turn over to additional feet on the street,” said Malcolm.
Previously, the CSP had one coordinator who managed one team of five individuals each morning, said Malcolm.
“By bringing in two foremen is two-fold. On the street it doubles our ability to have two teams of five and it allows us to extend to seven days a week. It also allows us the flexibility to do some afternoon shifts, which will increase the visibility and respond to certain issues that maybe occur throughout the day as opposed to just first thing in the morning.”
Malcolm said that frees up the Clean Sweep coordinator to do more community relations, such as having strategic meetings and building relationships with businesses.
“(It’s) also potentially exploring other revenue sources to make this even bigger and better than it is today. It’s improving the condition on the street, but it’s also improving the program’s ability to be strategic on the management side.”
“It has been an extremely difficult year for many and we are thrilled to share the great news of the program’s expansion with the downtown businesses that make up the Downtown BRZ and also with the Lethbridge community at large,” added Tulene Steiestol, Downtown Lethbridge BRZ Executive Director in a release.
“The Clean Sweep Program has been and will remain a service the BRZ is proud to lead and provide to our community.”
The program foremen have already started their roles and are reporting to long-time CSP Manager Melissa Johnson.
Weekend service of the CSP will commence May 1.

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