Midtown Green Adds Daily Disinfecting Detail to Public Right-of-Way Cleaning
Published: 06/04/2020
Midtown Alliance’s Midtown Green team is stepping up its disinfecting and sanitization efforts in preparation for everyone’s return to the district, whenever that might be.
In the past several weeks, the maintenance and operations team started acquiring equipment and supplies to sanitize surfaces in the public right-of-way like trash cans, pedestrian beacon buttons and benches.
The Green team uses Oxivir, a nontoxic, environmentally friendly sanitizer used in most of the hospitals, schools and large commercial properties. The sanitizing process was slated to begin weeks earlier, but the sanitizer was on backorder for over a month.
Every day, parts of the Midtown Improvement District are cleaned, and areas with more foot traffic like the Margaret Mitchell House Reading Room, Midtown MARTA Station plaza and 10th Street Park are sanitized more often.
Kyle Guess, Midtown Green Program Manager, said the cost for the spraying equipment was minimal, since Midtown Green already had some on hand. However, Oxivir itself is fairly expensive — the first order cost about $800, and it will be time to be reorder soon.
“I don’t think it’s a one-and-done kind of thing,” Guess said. “I think it’s important to keep sanitizing surfaces for the foreseeable future.”
The Green Team has continued to perform its normal duties since the original Stay-At-Home order was issued in mid-March, as their work was deemed essential to support city infrastructure. This includes mowing and landscaping, emptying trash and recycling bins and keeping the street clear of debris and graffiti. For the safety of its own employees, crews aren’t working in their usual teams of two or three personnel right now— though Guess said the team is operating at full strength.
It may take months before many people feel comfortable venturing outdoors for anything other than essential trips to the grocery store or doctor’s office, but Midtown Alliance is taking necessary steps now to adapt its operations to keep the public right-of-way clean.
“For now, the streets are still pretty quiet,” Guess said. “We’re taking it day by day and preparing things in advance.”
You see them working outside in all conditions, cleaning up debris and patrolling. Get to know some of the people who are on the job every day to keep Midtown clean and safe.