Executive Summary – Sample Sections Click on the topic area to go directly to that page:  Community Leadership & Coordination  Public Awareness  Education  Beautification & Community Improvement  Litter Prevention & Cleanup  Solid Waste Management  Litter Law & Illegal Dumping Enforcement  Conclusion

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners Community Leadership & Coordination: 

Sugar Land: Sugar Land (SL) is located 20 miles SW of Houston in Fort Bend (FB) County. SL was founded in the mid 1800s as a sugar plantation and was incorporated as a full-service municipality in 1959. SL has grown from 2,265 acres to 22,867.61 acres.

Welcoming neighborhoods, exemplary schools, successful organizations, robust businesses,

thriving diverse residents, and excellent local resources create a wonderful quality of life in SL. Minute Maid, Schlumberger, Tramontina USA, Bechtel, Fluor, Noble Drilling, & Aetna have chosen SL as their corporate home. Census 2010 ranked SL the 49th largest city in TX (52% White: 35.3% Asian: 10.6% Hispanic: 7.4% Black: 2.3% Other). 

Yes: State Affiliations: Keep Texas Beautiful; National Affiliations: Keep America Beautiful



KSLB programs are funded by: City Services Contract ($64,228.36); Fundraising ($20,361.65): In Kind Donations ($129,370.03); Annual Operating Budget: $148,849.00.



KSLB Staff Support: Full-time Executive Director (ED); Full-time Assistant; 1,925 Volunteers (5,270 hours)



Board/comm. member training is provided in orientations, webinars, meetings, workshops, & conferences.



Irving: “Irving, Texas: In Between, and Far Above” describes both the city’s location between Dallas and Fort Worth and its attitude of going above and beyond the ordinary to provide an exceptional place in which to live, work, play or visit. The town was founded in 1903 by J.O. Schulze and Otis Brown as a strategic location along the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railroad and was named for Mrs. Brown’s favorite author, Washington Irving. Irving has grown from that tiny village into a dynamic city of over 200,000 residents, representing a vibrant mix of ethnicities, faiths and countries of origin. Irving is home to over 8,500 businesses throughout its 67.9 square miles, from small family-owned shops to Fortune 500 corporations. Perhaps best known for the “Mustangs of Las Colinas” sculpture which represents its untamed Texas heritage, Irving has also embraced futuristic thinking with projects like the LEED-certified Convention Center, a “net-zero energy” library and school and the longest stretch of solar street lights in Texas. Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) was formed in 1992 as “Irving Beautification, Inc.” and renamed in 1999 to reflect its affiliation with both Keep America and Keep Texas Beautiful. KIB is also a member of the Greater Irving/Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, which created a Green Business Council in 2013 to promote environmentally sound practices in local businesses. KIB is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation governed by an 10-member volunteer board of directors. Funding is through an annual city contract which provides a full-time coordinator’s salary and an office valued at more than $70,000, plus a $67,880 budget which provides for one full-time paid contract staff person. KIB submits monthly invoices for expenses to the city, which are reimbursed by check throughout the fiscal year of October 1 to September 30. KIB also received over $4,600 in donations, monetary and in-kind, from corporate partners in 2013. The coordinator and staff member attended the KTB State Conference and the KAB National Conference, and supplemented their education with eight webinars from these organizations. Board members are invited and

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners encouraged to attend the webinars for additional training, and one-hour orientation sessions are offered each spring and fall to service learning volunteers.

Public Awareness 

Utopia: Public Awareness was achieved by newspaper articles, press releases, presentations, notification of upcoming event cards, flyers, posters, a website, and an information booth at the Fall Fair. Monthly Town Cleanup, quarterly AAH pick up, the annual Great Utopia Cleanup (GUCU), Bulky Household Waste Day, E-Waste Recycling Day, and the 2010 GCAA landscape installations are all visible examples of the work of KUB. KUB manages waste and recycling at the Fall Fair and at UtopiaFest. UISD students are asked each year to create Earth Day “Super Hero” placards that are used, along with flyers, to promote GUCU which is held in conjunction with the DMWT Trash-Off, Great American Cleanup (GAC) and Earth Day activities during April. Newspapers in Uvalde, Leakey, and Utopia (school paper) have printed over 439 inches of copy about KUB activities. The website, which received 24,642 hits during 2013, is a source of information about KUB’s efforts to reach community goals of education and beautification. The KUB site links to area events and to the KTB website. A KUB Facebook Page was created and has been helpful in fundraising. An annual KUB brochure is developed to education and inform the community. KUB sends “We Noticed” and “Thank-You” cards to residents “caught” working on clean-up or fix-up or who have made other significant contributions to support KUB’s mission. KUB volunteers, recognizable by their T-shirts, contributed over 3,381 volunteer hours to the betterment of Utopia. DMWT trash barrels were used at UtopiaFest, an annual music festival with an attendance of about 2,500, and at the annual Fall Fair where 65 booths draw about 1,000 people. The barrels are now used in the Town Square. Litter bags and bumper stickers were also distributed so more than 3,500 impressions have been made about DMWT in the community. KUB has received commendation from KTB, CTRA and Uvalde County Judge and Commissioners for highly successful programs and recognition of strong partnerships. KUB won second place in the 2013 GCAA competition and earned Gold Star Affiliate status. KUB has awarded volunteers and participants in education events by giving out reusable water bottles and canvas bags imprinted with KUB information.



Alpine: Via free PSA's on the local radio station and in the weekly newspaper, the Alpine Recycles! website, and the KAB Facebook page (159 'Likes', 532 'Shares') the community was informed about events such as the annual TrashOff, electronics and Christmas tree recycling programs, and beautification projects such as the creation of a community garden. To promote the quarterly bulky trash pick-up, reminders were placed in 2,500 utility customers' bills. One hundred posters in the schools and high-traffic areas such as the grocery store reinforced KAB’s anti-litter message. Over 300 brochures on the Native Plant Demonstration Garden at the library were distributed, and Sul Ross students created a brochure to both educate and recruit gardeners for the Community Garden. In Alpine, word-ofmouth is the most powerful public awareness tool. In 2013, KAB staff and volunteers participated in six community

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners events distributing literature, as well as visiting with children and adults about recycling, litter prevention, and beautification projects. In addition to promoting participation in DMWT/Trash-Off through the above listed outlets, a constant reminder was the “Don’t Mess With Texas” trash bin located in our highly visible downtown Railroad Park. KAB provided an article for the Alpine Avalanche introducing 'Report a Litterer’ in January 2013. Although a young organization, the work of KAB and the Alpine community has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally. Awards in 2013 included: the KAB coordinator recognized as Volunteer of the Year by Volunteer Big Bend; a grant from the Union Pacific Foundation to install a community garden; and a grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club to install solar panels on Alpine Public Library, which was recognized as the 2 nd Best Small Library in the United States. KAB rewarded over 500 volunteers on various clean up and beautification projects with stainless steel water bottles sporting the KAB logo.

Education Frisco: KFB worked with Quest Recycling to help put on the “Texas Legends Zero Waste Night” in April of 2013. During this special game, residents received education about recycling and Frisco Green Team volunteers helped game visitors recycle. On Official State Arbor Day in November, Frisco’s Urban Forestry Board hosted Frisco’s annual “Arborfest” celebration. In the spring, the UFB also hosted educational tree planting celebrations at the two newest Frisco elementary schools. KFB brings environmental education to youth via interactive presentations. Specifically, in 2013, Frisco’s Environmental Education Coordinator (ECC) gave 158 total educational presentations reaching approximately 295,800 people. In addition, the ECC offered 11 tours of the Environmental Collection Center in 2013, involving about 165 youth, and 3 of these tours included creative dumpster painting projects. Tours and school visits often include activities based on the KAB Waste in Place curriculum. Elementary programs include campus visits from Frisco ES mascot Rufus the Recycling Dog. At both elementary and secondary schools, there is cafeteria recycling (began in 2012-2013 school year, KFB worked on improving program during 2013). Additionally, every Frisco school has containers to accept batteries, plastic grocery bags, ink cartridges, cell phones and shoes for recycling or reuse. KFB collects these items weekly. KFB also promotes 4 annual awareness drives within FISD: drives in 2013 focused on reusing and donating before recycling (i.e. pet items were donated to Frisco Humane Society and shoes were donated to local non-profit Shoe Bank). At the college level, KFB partnered with Collin College to help make their Earth Day event a success this past April. According to FISD curriculum specialists, teachers at all grade levels are trained in Project WILD/Project WET and Project Learning Tree curriculum and utilize lessons when teaching TEKS specific to organisms and environments and process skills such as conserving and recycling of natural resources. ACE (Alliance for Climate Education) has also been present in high schools this year.

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners 

Utopia: KUB’s approach to education includes both public education and formal education programs for students, education-by-example at community events, posters and fliers, and educational programs for adults at community meetings. The curriculum concentrates on litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification, water conservation, and composting.

Community – KUB operates a booth at the Fall Fair where the general public is

instructed on all the KUB programs. For example, oil recycling was a topic that was covered this November. Education programs are given at the recycling center where presentations are made to volunteers and UISD students on recycling and its impacts on our environment. Presentations are made at the Senior Center luncheons and Lions Club meetings. Posters and fliers are distributed to the general public during GUCU and for special events. Youth – KUB won an H-EB/Central Market Green Bag Grant to provide WIP training to encourage students to develop the habit of recycling and not littering. This training was conducted in January and five teachers from three ISDs and two KUB board members participated. As a result, 3rd and 4th grade classes took it upon themselves “to police” the area around the school’s keyhole garden, dividing litter (some 543 pieces) into appropriate categories, and disposing of it properly. Students conduct monthly water sampling to monitor water quality for the Texas Stream Team Program. The results from the five sampling locations on the Sabinal River are recorded in a statewide database and will trigger appropriate TCEQ responses. High school class field trips to the recycling center included a presentation on environmental benefits of recycling, an overview of the recycling industry, and an invitation to volunteer to accrue community service. Each student was also given a card with the fines and penalties for littering. KUB partnered with UISD to get a $1,000 grant and assisted with the implementation of a rainwater harvesting system to educate students across all grade levels about surface and groundwater issues. The school and KUB plan to use this as a demonstration project for the community. KUB assisted UISD with the purchase and installation of composters to educate the students about composting. KUB continues to work with the school/teachers on recycling and conducted in-service teacher training about recycling, single use water bottles and Styrofoam. Recycling efforts have reduced the school’s waste hauling cost by 50%.

Beautification and Community Improvement 

Henderson: Welcome signs mark the major entrances to the city and are maintained through a partnership with the city, KHB members and the Leadership group from MTC. Through the Henderson Master Parks Plan, a major project for KHB has been the development of the Lake Forest Park and Gardens. Plans include gardens, walking trails, fountains and water features. Completed projects this year were: Transition of 3 rose beds to new locations, Circular Rose Bed with trellis and fieldstone walkway (wedding was held there in the spring), Butterfly Garden and Children’s Garden. Flag Pole brickwork and flower beds, refurbished playground items and Gazebo, planted 2500 bulbs, enhanced natural drainage with river rock, placed memorial markers in all established gardens and landscaped two historic areas discovered in the park – Eastern Star formation and steps leading to bathhouse. A sign at the entrance

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners to Lake Forest shows the beautifications plans for the area. Walking trails and new park streets are being added. All parks in the city are now on a maintenance schedule for improvement projects. 10 youth from the Boys & Girls Club planted trees at Fair Park. Highway 79 projects for beautification of local business fronts were sponsored by Sonic Restaurant and On the Run Exxon and Super Suds Car Wash. KHB members coordinated landscaping of Heritage Square downtown, the Traffic Star and Highway 79 South with seasonal plants and decorations throughout the year with the Main Street Advisory Board. 54 fall banners were added to the downtown area. Plans are being developed with AEP-SWEPCO for permission to add banners to the Hwy 79/259 corridor. KHB continued the Adopt a Pot Program with downtown merchants; providing watering pots with the KHB logo. A cooperative project with HISD for development of the Montgomery School Neighborhood Park is in the initial stages of development. Henderson Lions Club has pledged funds for a new pavilion, lion drinking fountain and trees. 10 Adopt a Highway miles are maintained in the city. The City maintains 25.67 miles of right of way. 

Richwood: Since we currently have less than 15 establishments operating within the city limits, sales tax is not our largest source of funds. The City of Richwood and its departments are challenged to do more with fewer resources. KRB has chosen to use a large percentage of their budget to keep City plantings and landscaping well maintained. Approximately $10,000+ of the budget is spent each year in this endeavor. Pulling weeds, trimming plants and trees, edging, cutting grass, planting shrubs and seasonal color are either done by board members or paid for from KRB funds. Importance is always placed on drought tolerant, native if possible, plants and trees. This includes volunteer’s hand watering some areas when needed. City properties maintained by this volunteer Board include 7 public parks, 4 gateway signs, 3 gazebos, and numerous state highway medians. Adding a Splash Pad that is soon to be completed in which KRB has partnered with the City to budget and design. Supplementing the budget is the “must have” use of volunteers. With 200+ volunteers contributing 2,500 hours, all the above has been maintained. The abundance of residents and groups such as ROTC, Scouts, and Servolution who come to events to help in the beautification endeavor has become a mainstay in our small community. Servolution is a group of local churches that join together to spend a Sunday in “active” worship by helping in the community. 60+ Crepe Myrtles, trees and flower beds that were planted at the new gateway sign entrances last year has been well maintained and continue to beautify the City. The new Yard of the Month project was also a huge achievement in public awareness and beautification efforts. Residents continue to improve overall appearance of local neighborhoods as problem areas are addressed and beautification is awarded with the implementation of Yard of the Month. The Board intends to continue this tradition and look for ways to inspire participation and community involvement. Continued in 2013 was a resident favorite beautification project with the placement of 150 American Flags along busy highways around the City by board members. Spearheaded by two veterans in their 80’s, the placement of the flags has become a favorite in our portion of the County as they remind us of our wonderful country on all national holidays. The flags are also loaned out by KRB for local soldiers who are returning from duty. Our residents pride in our City continues to grow as our City’s appearance is improved

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners with each completed and continued project. There is not much space for further business development but the cleanup of current business property when needed adds to the desirability of living in our small city. Adopt-a-Highway projects are unavailable in our area due to traffic patterns and the busy intersections of our highways.

Litter Prevention and Cleanup 

Rowlett: KRB Board members conduct an annual Litter Index Survey to assess and identify litter problems in Rowlett. 19 Community Service workers logged 281 hrs. picking up roadside litter, caused by uncovered trucks, cars & pedestrians. 6 people from Cornerstone Church worked 40 hrs. clearing improperly handled residential waste from a tree line. Adopt-A-Road/Adopt-A-Spot groups conducted 26 cleanups with 289 volunteers logging in 1,202 hrs. cleaning up construction debris, trash from uncovered trucks, pedestrian & car litter from our roads and maintaining gardens. KRB, Overachievers Alliance, Girl & Boy Scouts, & Kayak Instruction teamed up with 48 volunteers to tackle trash in Lake Ray Hubbard, conducting bi-weekly TX Waterways Cleanups from July 27 – Oct. 5, 2013. They removed sofa cushions, plastic chairs, fishing line, barber clippers, a game console and even a large speaker that had been illegally dumped in the water, removing 148 bags of trash out of the lake, 52 of which were recyclable. KRB conducted 1 combined GAC/DMWT Trash Off event on April 12 with 149 volunteers who collected 160 bags of trash and 1 GAC on Oct. 5 with 146 volunteers who collected 155 bags of trash. Rowlett PD collected 328 lbs. of prescription meds. for the Nat’l. Drug Take-back Initiative. FUMC had 40 people work 90 hrs. cleaning up litter & debris in Big A & Sacred Heart Cemeteries, 26 people worked 78 hrs. cleaning fire stations, 8 people worked 112 hrs. doing home repairs for elderly citizens and 16 people worked 48 hrs. cleaning up yards for Code Enforcement. First Baptist conducted a lake cleanup with 27 volunteers. The tremendous IMPACT these efforts have had on the environment & the public’s attitude toward litter prevention & cleanup were perfectly summed up in a quote from cleanup volunteer, Gregory Pluviose, in a Sept. 6, 2013 Dallas Morning News Neighbors Go article, “It looks better. It feels good to have a sense of accomplishment when you see how it looks one day and the next weekend you come out there’s a big difference.”



Sugar Land: Yes: Litter Index & an additional survey prior to our DMWT Trash Off (25 sites selected for clean-up).



Litter prevention/cleanup campaign is accomplished with the GAC, TX Waterway Cleanups, DMWT Trash Off, AdoptA-Spot, additional cleanups, & event/outreach programs.

Programs are provided for schools, businesses,

organizations, & residents to prevent litter. We successfully engage youth & adults to participate in litter prevention & cleanups. City has litter ordinances and removes litter on a weekly basis in public areas, parks, & roadways. Removing litter & maintaining pristine sites decreases accumulation of more litter. 

Uncovered trucks, construction sites, motor vehicles, & pedestrians being the primary sources of roadway litter is addressed through city ordinances, monitoring, fines, printed materials, presentations/events.

City monitors

commercial waste containers, construction sites, & loading docks. Litter prevention is emphasized with

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners managers/drivers of residential/commercial waste haulers & construction sites. City ordinance stipulates that all transported garbage must be in leak proof containers & covered at all times. City monitors haulers & construction sites - If violations occur citations & fines are issued. Fines increase each time a repeat violation occurs. Litter prevention resources included on PECs, website, & all events/presentations. 

Yes, DMWT Trash Off, GAC, Adopt-a-Highway, TX Waterway Cleanups, America & TX Recycles Day



The impact on the environment is very good & the public’s attitude toward litter prevention & cleanup is excellent. Much less litter on SL roadways and public areas than surrounding communities. DMWT Trash Off: Collected 4,741 lbs of trash: (25 sites: 401 volunteers: 1,375 hours). TX Waterway Cleanups: Collected 540 lbs of litter: (2 miles: 15 volunteers: 45 hours). GAC: 47 events: 592 volunteers: 2,100 hours). Adopt-A-Spot: Collected 2,720 lbs of trash: (95 cleanups: 314 volunteers: 435 hours). America/TX Recycles Day: Provided recycling education @ Whole Foods & gave away reusable RPET tote bags: Reached 400.

Solid Waste Management 

Lake Jackson: KLJB works as an outlet for the City of Lake Jackson through all aspects of solid waste disposal. Maintaining a highly effective program requires a positive relationship between Keep Lake Jackson Beautiful, the City and its residents. To address solid waste the City Sanitation Services provides bagged refuse 2x week curbside residential and commercial collection, heavy trash pick-up 2x monthly to prevent illegal dumping, and curbside comingled “blue bag” recycling for 8,500 households. We manage 38 dumpers that are set at Apartments and Commercial sites for recycling and we collect brush to process at the mulch facility. We processed and produced over 56,000 cu. yds. of mulch and saved $165,000 in tipping fees. Mulch is provided free to our residents, schools & businesses. BEARS Recycling a local waste hauler who processes city recyclables also contracts with local businesses for all their recycling needs. New this year we create the “Electronic Waste Take-In” drop off site at Chip’s Place. Since we began taking electronics in August we have collect 12,128 lbs. at this site. At our Electronic Collection Event for America’s Recycles Day in less than 4 hours we collected more than 39,240 lbs. of e-waste!

We held

workshops/training sessions for citizens and students on recycling and solid waste management and sent out 30,500 newsletters. Exemplary service of the Sanitation Department and education by KLJB keeps Lake Jackson from having to contract with an independent waste hauler. Extensive public education and strong community spirit mean the City of Lake Jackson has excellent compliance to waste reduction efforts! 

Burleson County:

In Burleson County, solid waste management is a partnership between our hauler, Texas

Commercial Waste, and the county, the City of Caldwell, and the City of Somerville. Burleson County has five citizen collection stations, at least one located in each precinct of the county, allowing citizens to dispose of their residential solid waste for a small fee of $25 a year per vehicle. At the stations are separate bins for recycling paper and metal

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners and one collection station accepts tires for recycling for a small fee year round. Texas Commercial Waste worked with the county during the “Big Spring Clean” in April setting up and removing eight additional roll-off containers throughout the county. The City of Caldwell sponsored a citywide garage sale to encourage reuse, 30 individual slots around the courthouse square were filled and an estimated 200 people shopped throughout the morning.

Litter Law and Illegal Dumping Enforcement 

Henderson: 50 signs against illegal dumping are posted, 15 county code violation citations were issued for junk or abandoned vehicles, trash and brush, substandard structures, overgrown lots/weeds, miscellaneous code/ordinance violation and proactive code enforcement. 3 illegal dumping cases were prosecuted. The county picks up litter on the roadsides when no responsible party is identified. Local and state litter laws can be accessed @http://franklin/Z2Browser2html?showset=hendersonset. These ordinances specifically address accumulation of carrion, filth, etc; growth or accumulation of weeds, rubbish, etc; graffiti; illegal dumping prohibited; duty of business owners, occupants; duty of customers, litter abatement and public nuisance. Collection of used tires ensured 235 tires were not dumped at illegal sites. Graffiti is not considered a problem in our city. Citations by city and county litter enforcement officers address nuisance issues. The city provides for the collection and disposal of used tires for the community with no collection fees. A small fee is charged by the county.



Richwood: The Richwood Code Enforcement Department strongly enforced ordinances and local and state litter laws. KRB directs information from KTB and KAB to local law enforcement on litter abatement and illegal dumping legislation changes. The city and county address illegal dumping of tires, E-waste and appliances and KRB and KBCBA help with annual collection opportunities. At City Council’s request, KRB assists in reviewing ordinances and proposing development codes as problems occur. The most common violation is grass/weed violations. Efforts in 2013 included daily inspection of the city by the Public Works and Code Enforcement Departments. Dilapidated structures and junk cars are addressed as needed in a timely manner. To prevent storm drain dumping, a group of volunteers labelled all storm drains as a reminder that the drains are part of the rain water run-off that goes direction into our local waterways. The City regularly distributes literature and posts information on websites to showcase Don’t Mess with Texas initiatives and proper disposal of hazardous waste. All KRB’s efforts work in conjunction with Code Enforcement and Brazoria County departments to reduce the amount of public tax dollars spent to clean up heavy litter and dumping sites

2014 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Winners Conclusion 

Burleson County: Burleson County and Burleson County municipalities are very committed to the citizens of the county and their welfare. One of the top priorities for the county is the removal and cleanup of litter and debris throughout the county. These priorities have developed into the annual “Big Spring Clean” program to raise awareness of litter and illegal dumping issues within our county. With the help of community leaders and volunteers, the expansion of the “Big Spring Clean” program will continue and new programs will be implemented as more citizens join the county in creating an environment that we all can be proud to call home. Through continued education, beautification, and environmental stewardship Burleson County is continually striving toward being the foremost place to live, work, and play.



Lake Jackson: Keep Lake Jackson Beautiful makes a difference in our community through environmental stewardship by sustaining our programs and growing responsible citizens! Each year Keep Lake Jackson Beautiful finds another solution to improve our community’s overall environmental stewardship and the resources to meet the needs and demands of our citizens. It is an ever changing world and we have to change with it. This year KLJB has create a permanent “electronic waste take-in” drop off site. Located adjacent to “Chip’s Place” at the mulch facility, residents can now recycle electronics 260 days a year. Our partner is Texas Green Electronic Recycling and in 4 months we have already collected 12,128 lbs. of electronic waste. This convenience means resources used for electronic waste events can now be applied to the next solution or next project………as we continue to make Lake Jackson the “City of Enchantment” a better place to live, work and play!