“Public works” is a term we’re all familiar with, but what does it encompass? According to the city of Valley, Nebraska, the department is responsible for a wide range of duties — maintenance of streets, parks, baseball and softball fields, the swimming pool, the cemetery and the list goes on and on. With five full-time employees, more are added during the summer months, because mowing and other such regular tasks must be accomplished, too.

The department is also enlisting help from the community. A new program was recently launched called “Adopt-a-Road,” and it’s just what it sounds like: community members and organizations commit their time to picking up litter, which is something almost anyone can do. And Doug Eggen, who serves as the public works superintendent, was happy to explain more fully.

“The program was modeled off of Douglas County, but the real inspiration has come from a group of concerned citizens. The 2010 census indicated a population of 1,875 residents, and the 2020 census has 3,037. There is plenty of industry in the Valley area, but the main attraction is the availability of land for buildings close to the Omaha metropolitan area. The growth is continuing, and it will for quite some time,” Eggen said.

Any time there’s construction, whether houses or businesses, even with dumpsters in place, trash can accumulate. A good windy day sends it all over the place, as well. As crews build new houses and businesses, the trash gets left behind, or otherwise scattered. And roadside litter has been a problem for many years, though people are more aware of it these days.

“The project is going well. Of the 21 areas that have been identified, 13 have been adopted already and have been patrolled. The public has been very receptive and appreciative of the program. The project hasn’t been too expensive to implement. There were start-up costs for supplies and signage, but we are funding the project through our KENO funds, which are designated for community betterment,” Eggen stated.

When this project was first proposed, it was clarified that everything would be provided for those who wanted to take part — all the supplies, including safety vests, signage, trash bags, and gloves.

As often happens, we wondered if this had inspired other public works and programs to further beautify the town, such as landscaping or other plantings. Eggen said, “Valley is a pretty small city, so I’d consider the organizations that have adopted roadways as inspired. We really don’t have any civic organizations to speak of, but the feedback from the residents has been very positive. Our city tree board has done a lot of landscaping and tree planting in the city.”

It’s always interesting to see what age groups participate in programs like this. Would it be students? Clubs or organizations? Scouts? Eggen laughed and said, “Actually, it’s been retirees more than students who have gravitated toward the program. We are working on a program that we can present to the school students that will encourage them not to litter.”

There is a theory that once a space is clean, it will stay that way unless and until someone “breaks” it. The program will bring this thought home while encouraging students to take personal pride in keeping their community clean.

How much of what is picked up can be recycled? After all, items could potentially be sorted, with participants recycling what they can, whether they be cans, bottles, cardboard, etc.

But Eggen cautioned, “The city of Valley does not offer one trash service. It’s up to the residents to contract with the independent trash hauler of their choice on their own.” That being said, Valley offers multiple recycling services.

Valley is in this for the long haul, so to speak. “The program will continue indefinitely, but the organizations have to commit to a minimum of two years for patrolling their adopted roadways,” explained Eggen. “At this time, there are no plans in place for program expansion.”

As for where other interested towns would start with a program like this, Eggen said, “I would tell other towns that the benefits far outweigh the costs of the program. Our hope is to get to the root of the litter issue so that the roadway pickups are minimal.”

And though the costs are lower than many other public works projects might be, there are expenses nevertheless. “Like any program, there needs to be resident buy-in and funding available for an Adopt-A-Road program to succeed,” said Eggen.

Depending on the size of the towns considering this kind of program, fundraisers or budget line items would need to be considered. And it could be a “go big or go home” kind of thing, with endless possibilities for improving not just the adopted roads, but the surrounding towns, as well. One thing leads to another, after all.

Next Article: Ghost town lifestyle: Old Trail Town preserves the past