Project NICE/KEEP
Project NICE/KEEP 2022 Neighborhood Cleanup
Each year the Environmental Section of the Sioux Falls Health Department receives approximately 1,800 calls and referrals from citizens concerned about neighborhood environmental nuisance issues in various parts of the city. Other City departments handling code enforcement issues have significant numbers of calls regarding other code violations as well. Approximately 32 years ago, the City began to notice an increase in the number of nuisance issues addressed each year, so a proactive approach to reduce or at least limit the increase was implemented. The City developed a project called NICE (Neighborhood Improvement Complaint Easement) that would identify specific neighborhoods at risk of nuisance concerns and assist the neighborhoods to address those concerns. A few years later, the City developed a similar project called KEEP (Keep Environmental Enhancement Permanent) to work in conjunction with the NICE program.
Each year these neighborhoods, designated as the NICE and KEEP areas, get a helping hand in the form of a cleanup using City volunteers. In addition, these neighborhoods receive educational materials about the City and its services. Through the implementation of these projects, the City has been able to keep the number of neighborhood nuisance cases static despite an increase in the City’s population since its inception.
Those property owners that are included in this year’s Project Nice and KEEP have received mailings detailing the specifics of the cleanup.
The 2022 Project NICE Phase 1 border contains two areas. The first area is contained within the boundaries of Minnesota Avenue on the west, the river on the east, 18th Street on the north and 26th Street on the south; included is an additional area within the boundaries of Cliff Avenue on the west, the river on the east, 26th Street on the north and 36th Street as the south border.
The 2022 Project KEEP border is the area within the boundaries of Russell Street on the north, 6th Street on the south, West Avenue on the west and Minnesota Avenue as the east border.
Look to the City of Sioux Falls where you will be able to track the progress of crew members during cleanup week. You may also use this to see if your property is located within this year’s cleanup borders, as described above.
The cleanup will be offered to these neighborhoods the week of April 25-29. If weather does not permit cleanup at that time, an alternate week will be chosen.
After the cleanup, a follow-up survey effort ensures that the entire neighborhood is reviewed for environmental concerns and the appropriate persons notified for correction.
These projects are affordable for the City to offer only because they focus on helping residents and are not meant to assist businesses or take the place of routine disposal costs. The debris the City removes from the curb should only be what has been owned and discarded from the resident at that address and should not contain household garbage, animal waste, hazardous materials, electronics or create a greater cleanup effort for the City than was previously there. Keeping recyclable items such as tires, appliances, branches and mattresses in separate piles will assist the crews with removal.
Overall the projects have been extremely successful in meeting the goal of keeping neighborhoods healthier and safer as well as helping to improve property values. The City has a goal to provide citizens fair and equitable access to these programs while simultaneously achieving the goal of maintaining or improving the environmental condition of neighborhoods in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls is a great place to live and the organizers and staff of Project NICE and KEEP look forward to helping to keep it that way.
