Trash scattered along city streets has become a bigger problem in recent months because of the coronavirus pandemic, City Manager Hal Hegwer said Tuesday.
Cleanup of litter downtown and on other roads in Sanford would normally be taken care of by the cityâs Public Works Department, which contracts with the Lee County Jail and pays inmates to help keep the city looking clean. After COVID-19 hit in March, however, safety regulations temporarily suspended such work-release programs.
In addition, the city is short staffed, with some employees quarantined because of the coronavirus, Hegwer said. City staff are already dealing with their usual tasks, in addition to any other work created by the pandemic, so the shortage leaves the city without the manpower to clean up streets.