Community Justice

The major focus of the Clean, Safe & Green Committee is to address issues of blight, code violations, delinquent property owners, and safety. This group has re-energized the Community Justice Initiative formerly spearheaded by the South Scranton Residents Association (SSRA). The group includes SSRA members and interested residents, representatives of the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, housing and building inspectors from the City of Scranton Office of Licensing, Inspections and Permits, and the Area Supervisor from the Scranton Police Department. The group meets the first Wednesday of the month at 3:00 p.m. at the South Side Senior Center to listen to residents’ and business owners’ complaints and review any complaints dropped off  at Citizens Savings Bank on Cedar Avenue. The group walks through the neighborhood to assess complaints and refers problems for appropriate resolution. Responses to referrals are reviewed at the next meeting and, if necessary, further follow-up is planned. This proactive approach involves residents in taking steps toward meeting the objectives identified in the Revitalization Plan intended to insure a clean and safe neighborhood.

The Clean, Safe & Green Committee also hosts regular cleanup days involving volunteers. A fall community cleanup is conducted in collaboration with the United Way Day of Caring and a spring cleanup is coordinated with the Great Pennsylvania Cleanup. Additional spring and fall cleanups provide college students an opportunity to help residents “transform South Side into a clean neighborhood.” The committee recently received Residential Reinvestment funding to purchase and place permanent trash receptacles along Cedar Avenue to support its efforts to keep the neighborhood clean. The group was awarded additional funding to purchase period street lighting to enhance both the attractiveness and safety of Cedar Avenue. In an effort to “green” the neighborhood, committee staff  have worked with the Image & Identity Committee to implement a children’s garden in Connors Park and plan for a community garden near St. John Neumann Church in 2012.

Members of the committee have supported and actively participated in a spring Paint Out to remove or paint over graffiti in South Side.  UNC recently received a Graffiti Hurts grant from Keep America Beautiful. This grant, one of only 3 successful applications out of 178 entries submitted nationwide, is being used to involve teens in preparing and delivering educational programming to prevent and address graffiti.