The city of Citrus Heights won the 2024 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Public Works, Infrastructure, and Transportation category. For more information about the award program, visit calcities.org/helen-putnam-award-for-excellence.

In recent years, Citrus Heights faced a growing challenge that affected public spaces and private properties: illegal dumping, litter, and other forms of blight. This escalated post-pandemic, prompting city leaders to create a citywide beautification program that removes blight, encourages public participation, and improves quality of life.

“As the pandemic wound down, we saw our public spaces suffering,” said Dr. Jayna Karpinski-Costa, the city’s mayor. “We knew we had to do something innovative to restore our city’s image and address the concerns of our residents.”

In mid-2022, the city’s leadership held over 100 listening sessions to understand community priorities. These sessions, coupled with a community sentiment survey, revealed a strong desire for blight abatement and homeless prevention. The data showed residents wanted litter, dumping, and unauthorized materials in the public right of way addressed urgently.

Citrus Heights soon launched the Beautification Crew, a two-person team and fully stocked truck funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. This team proactively monitors public spaces, responds to service requests, and educates the public. The Beautification Crew also uses SeeClickFix, an app that allows residents to report problems and see real-time resolutions.

“The Beautification Crew has been a game changer for our city,” said City Manager Ash Feeney. “We’ve been able to respond to blight issues almost immediately and create true progress, which has boosted community pride and engagement.”

A significant part of the program’s success is the Citrus Heights Cares campaign, spearheaded by Meghan Huber, the city’s economic development and community engagement director. The campaign teaches residents how to report concerns to city officials, informs property owners about municipal codes and maintenance standards, and activates community members for beautification and volunteer events.

The campaign is accompanied by a citywide marketing initiative that includes the wrapped Beautification Truck, billboards at key entry points, and light pole banners. City officials also deploy a roadshow kit with signage, educational materials, and promotional items like magnets, coloring books, and trash grabbers at city events.

“Our goal was to create consistent reminders of our beautification goals and standards,” Huber said. “We drew design inspiration from icons like National Parks and Good Housekeeping to focus on mutual standards of care, respect, and neighborliness.”

The Citrus Heights Cares website is a central hub for service requests, FAQs, and campaign information. It features a real-time dashboard of service request metrics, but the city also provides regular updates online and before-and-after visuals of cleanup efforts.

In 2024 alone, the Beautification Crew removed over 82 tons of debris from public spaces. Citizen reports of blight issues have surged, thanks to easy reporting through SeeClickFix. This not only improved the city’s appearance but also fostered a sense of pride and ownership among residents.

“We’re not just cleaning up the city; we’re changing how people feel about their community,” Huber said. “The Beautification Crew and our public outreach efforts have really made a difference.”

The benefits extend beyond aesthetics. The program has allowed maintenance teams to focus on larger issues, like infrastructure projects, community amenities like trails and multimodal transportation, and public safety. By addressing blight promptly, the city has also reduced future cleanup costs and supported fiscal stability.

The Citrus Heights Beautification Program shows that a small investment in public spaces can yield significant returns. Through strategic planning, community involvement, and proactive measures, Citrus Heights has shown how cities can tackle blight and improve the quality of life for their residents.

Regina Cave is the general services director for the city of Citrus Heights. She can be reached at rcave@citrusheights.net or (916) 727-4764. Watch this video for an overview of the project.