Creating a bridge between city and state to solve a problem: A case study of the City of Bakersfield Solid Waste Division Initiative

Abstract

As a non-profit prong of the City of Bakersfield Solid Waste Division, Keep Bakersfield Beautiful (KBB) is able to act as a link between various government agencies to achieve common goals across jurisdictional boundaries. As such, KBB is the hub of a multi-award-winning Freeway Litter Cleanup programme. With KBB at the centre, this multi-agency, corporate and volunteer-led effort employs homeless-centre clients to clean up massive amounts of freeway litter. This unorthodox approach is a win–win solution connecting the state department of transport, the city, the county, the private sector and the community. Keep Bakersfield Beautiful’s partnership with the city and state make this a bold and ground-breaking approach, as it empowers and contracts with the local homeless centre to clean up the state’s rights of way. The programme is as heart-warming as it is productive. To date this programme has enabled 250 formerly homeless family members to live in a home again by cleaning up tons of litter monthly, and other stakeholders have come forward to contribute funds and manpower to expand the programme.