INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Officials in Independence launched a new program Tuesday they hope will help clean up trash and illegally dumped materials.
The program, dubbed Independence TOGETHER, combines the needs of the city with the work from the Community Services League and the Missouri Department of Transportation.
Under the program, funded through $100,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act, residents who are unhoused or experiencing homelessness will be paid to clean up roadside litter along main streets in the city.
Interstate 70, U.S. Highway 24, U.S. Highway 40, Missouri Highway 78, Truman Road, 35th Street and 39th Street are among the east-west roads in the program.
Blue Ridge Boulevard, Sterling Road, Noland Road, Lee’s Summit Road and Missouri Highway 29 are participating north-south roads.
Priority will also be given to park and historic areas.
“We are taking steps to focus on the beautification of our City,” Mayor Rory Rowland said in a release Tuesday. “The Independence TOGETHER program will be supported by monthly trash clean-ups, and we hope this inspires our residents to help carry the work into their neighborhoods too.”
The program is funded through Sept. 27, 2023, after which it will require an extension through the Independence City Council.
Workers will receive $12 per hour, with an additional $3 put in a escrow-style fund toward housing savings. Workers will be provided uniforms, supplies and safety equipment. Food options are also available to workers on shift.
More information about the program is available online.
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