City's First Tire and Sign Buy-Back Event a Success
April 14, 2014
The City of Jacksonville and City Council hosted a Tire and Sign Buy-Back event at the EverBank Field parking lot on April 5 as part of efforts to curb neighborhood and urban blight. More than 23,000 tires and 6,000 illegal signs were collected, resulting in a payout of $41,255. At the first-time event, approximately 3,000 Duval County residents turned out to trade in up to 10 tires for $2 per tire, and up to 40 illegal snipe signs for 50 cents per sign.
The event was a collaboration between the City of Jacksonville and the City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Jacksonville’s Neighborhood Blight, which is chaired by Council Member E. Denise Lee, and includes Council Member John Crescimbeni, Council Member Bill Bishop, Council Member Jim Love and Council Member Dr. Johnny Gaffney. The Neighborhood Blight Committee was formed by City Council President Bill Gulliford to examine the status of blight in neighborhoods throughout the city.
“This is major community engagement. This is what we are looking for, working together. Government can’t do everything,” said Council Member Lee. “I am excited. My adrenaline is off the chart.”
“I am so proud of our citizens who stepped up to help clean up our city and then waited in long lines to properly dispose of old tires and snipe signs. In my opinion, the inaugural buyback program was a huge success, and one we need to repeat on a regular basis,” said Council Member Crescimbeni.
“This event was a great success for our city,” said Mayor Brown. ”It’s a terrific example of community spirit in action when so many residents of Jacksonville take the initiative to step forward and help us keep our city clean. It makes a real difference for our neighborhoods and our environment. I’d like to commend and thank our many volunteers and city employees for their assistance at the event. When we all work together, we can make great things happen.”
WJXT Channel 4 was the event’s broadcast sponsor, and additional event sponsors included the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, JEA, Keep Jacksonville Beautiful, Republic Services, SMG and Waste Pro.
See more photos from the event on the City's Flickr page