A Day in the Life of an Ambassador: Spring Edition
Everything will soon be coming up green this spring, a welcomed sight after a white-washed winter! With all the melting snow, our downtown Rochester Clean and Safe Ambassadors will find hidden “treasures” once those snowbanks are gone. Let’s take a look at some of the duties they will tackle this spring to make the 44 blocks of downtown bright and beautiful.
Leaf and weed removal
It’s hard to imagine there is anything other than snow on the ground. But spring-like temperatures give us a glimmer of hope for better days ahead and unearths the autumn foliage left behind. Not to mention every gardener’s nemesis: weeds. Our Clean and Safe Ambassadors take care of removing natural debris to keep downtown immaculate.
Quick stat*: 38 instances of weed abatement completed (and that’s during pre-spring months!)
Litter and cigarette butt collection
Speaking of things that appear when the snow disappears, litter seems to repopulate like rabbits in spring. Our Clean and Safe Ambassadors curb the amount of litter by picking it up, disposing of it, and emptying waste receptacles throughout downtown.
Quick stat: 18,640 cigarette butts collected and disposed of in January and February 2021
Power washing
Now that temperatures seem to have soared well past the freezing point, Ambassadors are able to make power washing a regular task to remove spills, stains, and fowl feces.
Quick stat*: 74 hot spots and 16 entire blocks power washed
Spring clean up
While we focus our spring cleaning on clearing out personal closets, Ambassadors concentrate on cleaning downtown features like the riverbanks within the downtown district! Currently, there is debris like trashed bikes, barrels, and graffiti along the river. The Ambassadors are excited to help enhance the efforts of the City of Rochester and start this project in late spring!
We’ll likely notice more effects of our Ambassador’ hard work like billy goating the boulevard. Not sure what this is (we had to ask, too)? According to Operations Manager Tom Claymon, it is a high-powered machine that vacuums up everything but the grass and collects it in a bag. Ambassadors will do additional pick-up and power washing than is typical will help make spring a more enjoyable season downtown. (We'll let you in on a little secret: public spaces like Peace Plaza and Central Park will have public seating again April 14 [weather permitting]!)
Wayfinding and hospitality assistance
As we get outdoors more this spring and see an Ambassador (they’re highly noticeable with their bright orange shirts!), ask them for places to shop, dine, and explore. They are knowledgeable with businesses and their services, products, and options.
Quick stat*: 184 occurrences of hospitality assists accomplished
Starting April 1, Clean and Safe Ambassador Program spring hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday and from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
*All Clean and Safe Ambassador Program statistics are from January 1 to March 15, 2021.