City of Gulfport cracking down on debris pickup with new policies

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - A clean slate and stiff enforcement. That is the message the City of Gulfport is sending out with its new approach to debris pickup and litter left on curbs.

A new plan was announced Sunday for crews to begin a city-wide sweep of picking up debris and litter. That will happen through the months of March and April. Then, on May 1st, homeowners will face fines for not following the new policy for items that the city will no longer pick up.

“Littering in Gulfport is $1,000 per offense,” said Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes. “Our code enforcement is going to be very aggressive about litter. I’m hoping that people will take the responsibility themselves and we won’t have to fine anybody.”

WLOX News spoke to homeowners in different neighborhoods about this new policy.

“I think it’s really good,” said resident Jerry Oberlies. “For a while, there was trash everywhere, up and down the street. Some lots are full of debris. I think all that needs to be cleaned up and make the city look nice.”

“Some people throw stuff on the side of the road or leave it in their driveway or move out and leave stuff out. It brings down the value of the neighborhood,” said Darel Pace. She moved from Detroit, Michigan to South Mississippi a few years ago. She is accustom to seeing a city put its foot down on what residents leave on the curb.

“I moved back here because it’s a lot smaller, a lot quieter, more convenient, and it’s safer for my kids. It’s nice to see some of the programs from the big city brought down here,” she said.

A full breakdown of Gulfport’s new debris pick-up policy can be found here.

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