Keep El Dorado Beautiful sets sights on outreach
Keep El Dorado Beautiful is chipping away at its 2021 to-do list, while adding more items to advance its mission to engage the community in building a sustainable cleanup campaign for the city.
In July, the group got its first look at documents solidifying KEB’s nonprofit status, ending a five-year process. Members also divvied up newly-printed business cards.
Both the 501(c)(3) and business cards will help KEB in drumming up support from the community, members have said.
Each KEB member has been issued 25 business cards to distribute throughout the city, including to potential sponsors.
The KEB logo appears on the business cards, along with pertinent information, including the respective member’s name; contact information for the organization and the member who is handing out the card; and KEB’s regular meeting schedule.
During a regular meeting earlier this week, KEB members discussed a new letterhead that will appear on correspondence with individuals, churches, civic groups, businesses, industries and others.
“We’ve already passed out a couple of letters to businesses,” KEB president Janis Van Hook said, adding that the group hopes to begin announcing new partnerships soon.
“Our major concern is getting the entire city of El Dorado involved. We’re going to be
knocking on doors, mailing out letters and passing out business cards,” she added.
The group also set a date to conduct its litter index survey, in which KEB members tour the city, select a few streets that cover a broad section of each ward and score the areas on a scale from one to four, with one being the best and four the worst.
Scores are based on such criteria as litter on the ground, overgrown lots and outside storage, and tallied into a composite.
KEB has not conducted a litter index survey in two years, having canceled last year because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and in 2019 due to scheduling conflicts and issues with arranging transportation.
Because of the public health crisis in 2020, Keep Arkansas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful waived the survey for local affiliates, including KEB.
KEB members previously discussed relaunching the survey, which is typically conducted in the spring.
KEB’s state and national umbrella groups advise local affiliates to take the survey during the same time each year.
The guidelines for the survey have also been relaxed this year and KEB members voted to conduct the next litter index on Sept. 26.
Survey results could also tie into another venture KEB is looking to take on: meeting with residents in each of the city’s four wards.
Van Hook previously explained that KEB will reach out to city council members about coordinating the meetings.
“They’re not going to be town halls. We’re calling them ‘suggestion meetings,’” she said.
“We’ll have a sit-down with the neighborhoods in those wards to see what we can do to help and find out what they can do and what we can do to work together,” Van Hook continued.
KEB members will also be able to outline its mission, which focuses on litter, recycling and beautification, and provide residents with the information, tools and resources they need to help keep the city clean.
The results from the litter index survey can come in handy during those discussions and help identify issues that are specific to each ward, Van Hook said.
“We can go in and have a conversation with those neighbors and with their city council representatives to learn what we need do to make this thing better,” she said.
“It’ll give us some insight on the areas we really need to work on, as far as communicating with people who live in those areas,” Van Hook added.
She said residents will learn more about KEB and have the opportunity to join the organization if they are interested, noting that a few new faces have shown up at recent monthly meetings.
A growing number of groups and individuals have also expressed an interest in adopting streets and other areas of the city to keep clean.
“They are very interested in how they can improve their neighborhoods,” Van Hook said.
She said residents may adopt a street or block in memory of a loved one and the area can be designated with signage from the city.
“Or you can do a block with your name on it. It doesn’t have to be just churches and businesses. It can also be individuals. We’ve just got to have that long-term commitment from you,” Van Hook said.
Appearances
To further spread the word about KEB, the group has scheduled a few appearances in the coming weeks.
Van Hook said the group is slated to speak to the El Dorado Civitans during an upcoming monthly meeting, noting that the engagement was originally planned for this month but was postponed.
Members will also spend some time at Clean Harbors’ household hazardous waste collection day on Sept. 18.
The free, drive-up service is offered each year to residents of El Dorado and Union County from 8 a.m. until noon on the third Saturday of the month, starting in April and ending in September.
The next collection day will be held Saturday at the Clean Harbors facility at 309 American Rd.
All hazardous waste should be in a sturdy, non-returnable container, as pour-off is not included in the service. Residents should make sure the waste can be easily removed from the vehicle to avoid any accidental spills.
Items that are accepted include used oil filters; batteries; paints; solvents; rust removers; antifreeze; automotive products; brake fluids; degreasers; carburetor cleaners; dry cleaning fluids; herbicides; pesticides; pool chemicals; common household cleaners; butane cylinders for grills or lanterns; fluorescent bulbs; and other common household items.
Smoke detectors, firearms, explosives, compressed gases, radioactive waste, business-generated waste, biomedical waste, tires, appliances, e-waste and trash are not accepted.
For KEB, the collection day serves as an opportunity to network and help spread its message, Van Hook said, adding that Clean Harbors has been a staunch supporter of KEB’s efforts.
“We’ll probably be out there for about an hour or so, meeting with people and handing out business cards,” Van Hook said of the group’s planned visit next month.
For more information about KEB, call Van Hook at 870-9182706. To learn more about Clean Harbors’ hazardous waste collection service, call 870-8637173.
The public is invited to attend regular KEB meetings, which are held at 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday of the month in the Community Room on the second floor of Simmons First Bank at 100 W. Grove.