It may be almost summer, but spring cleaning is going full force in Whiteville.

City Manager Joshua Ray said last week that the city is intensifying efforts to clean up sidewalks, gutters and problem areas, and the effort is paying off.

“We’ve had a lot of positive comments,” he said. “Just getting the grass out from the sidewalks makes a world of difference.”
While weeds and grass on city rights-of-way are an obvious problem, Ray said continued maintenance – and in some cases major repairs – are needed along some streets.

“Everyone sees your sidewalks,” he said. ”Your sidewalks are designed for people to walk on. Well, we have some that are badly cracked and in need of repair, while some need to be ripped out and rebuilt entirely. It’s an ongoing process.”

The city manager and Police Chief Jerry Britt walk through the downtown area weekly, looking for areas that need attention by the city or landowners. Ray said the walks – along with his own evening runs through town – are helping him get a better idea what areas require immediate attention, as well as the level of work involved. He said he spends as much time as possible talking to “everyone I can find on the street” about cleaning concerns in town.

“That’s helped me get a better handle on where we need to work,” Ray said.

Ray said he feels user-friendly walking areas are vital to any revitalization efforts downtown.
“We want people walking on our sidewalks,” he said. “We want people downtown. Our merchants want them, too. Aesthetics play a huge role in any revitalization program.”
The theory, Ray said, is that if the town improves streets and sidewalks, then property owners will take more pride in their buildings and neighborhoods.

“We’ve already seen proof of this on the west side,” Ray said, noting that neighborhood cleanup days are turning into large community events.

Ray said the town continues to target piles of debris left beside streets throughout town.

“We’ve seen what happens when we go through and pick this stuff up,” he said. “For one thing, you’re eliminating a health and safety hazard, but you’re making things look better, too. People are sprucing up their own property in some places where we’ve hauled off loads of trash that had been there for a while.”
Ray praised the town’s cleanup crews, who are enthusiastic about the effort.

“They’ve been getting it done,” Ray said. “There’s only so much they can do with the time and personnel restraints they have, but they’re out there working. We’re hoping to get a crew of eight to 10 prisoners from the White Lake Corrections Center to put to work as well.”

The city crews are currently working under the summer schedule – 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ray said residents are welcome to call the streets and utilities department to report areas that need extra attention.

“We encourage people to call the office and let us know what the concerns are in their neighborhoods,” he said. “We want to know what’s going on, and where.”