Cleaner Streets Coming To Fort Worth

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FORT WORTH (CBS11) - It's a sight Fort Worth hasn't seen in years and a sign of how the economy forced the city to change how it operates.

The city will once again have regular street sweeper service. It was one of the first services slashed when the economy collapsed.

"I can remember around 2004 or 2005, if you needed something done you put more in the budget and you get more equipment and you get more staff. There was plenty of money. Nowadays? You can't operate that way," said Fort Worth Code Compliance Director Brandon Bennett.

Fort Worth's litter campaign is an example of how the city was forced to change how it's doing business. It looks for efficiencies and partnerships.

The city bought more fuel-efficient sweepers and found staffing from people already working at garbage drop-off points.

"When it's really slow we can put them in the street sweepers," said Bennett. "You can't just lay the staff off because you need them for when it's busy. So it's a good way to even out the services for the citizens at no additional cost."

The city has also partnered with Goodwill and Presbyterian Night Shelter to add staff for picking up litter.

"We also do partnerships with the school district where they're helping us with a litter program; zero litter around schools," Bennett said. "And it just goes on and on and on. And really, that's the new model for government."

Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price wrote in an email, "We're committed to being a fiscally well-managed city and on top of that… engaged! Programs and shifts of city services like this show that the city is working toward that goal."

It's a model the city is using in a new literacy program teaming schools, the city businesses and private donations to raise reading scores. A partnership with Petsmart and private rescue groups has helped ease pressure on the understaffed city animal shelter.