Keep Texas Beautiful has recognized the City of Mansfield as one of 10 winners of the 2021 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards for outstanding community improvement, an award given annually by KTB and its partner, the Texas Department of Transportation.
Mansfield will join the other communities in sharing $2 million in landscape funding from TxDOT. The City’s $270,000 share will be used for a yet-to-be determined landscaping project.
The award is one of the more coveted annual environmental and community improvement honors in Texas. A community’s environmental program is judged by a group of diverse, multi-sector judges on achievements in seven environmental and community improvement areas: public awareness and outreach, environmental education, beautification and community improvement, litter prevention and cleanup, solid waste management, litter law and illegal dumping enforcement.
In 2021, the Mansfield community embraced the challenges resulting from the pandemic and participated in activities such as:
- Monthly Household Hazardous Waste collection events, and annual Chunk Your Junk and
Shred Days through the City’s Environmental Collection Center while following safety protocols
- Virtual educational outreach opportunities were provided for residents and students about beautification, recycling, litter prevention and water conservation. Compared to classes and events that were held in-person pre-COVID, participation for virtual education increased 284 percent
- Through the Mansfield Volunteer Program 770 volunteers worked 63 cleanup projects that removed 88.44 tons of trash while maintaining safety protocols
- The Mansfield Garden Club volunteered to maintain the City demonstration and butterfly gardens via staggered work schedules and limited group sizes
- The Keep Mansfield Beautiful Commission maintained the Adopt-a-Street program and promoted cleanups
“Mansfield is proud to receive this award from an organization that signifies our desire in Texas to keep our state and communities beautiful,” says Mayor Michael Evans. “Our residents have shown us time and again that we are environmentally aware; that they will work hard and conscientiously to ensure our parks, greenspaces and waterways are clean and free of litter. We are grateful that the state has recognized us for these efforts.”
“What sets Mansfield apart is its community spirit,” says City Manager Joe Smolinski. “This spirit is exemplified best through the collaborative efforts of the City, its volunteer program, school district, faith-based organizations and groups who work together to help Keep Mansfield Beautiful, all while experiencing a global pandemic. Even though we were faced with going virtual, our community proved that COVID-19 would not prevent all the beautification efforts that go on throughout the city each year.”
