They need to be held responsible for the area around and in front and behind their businesses. They should be forced to keep their property clean and trash free.
I was driving down Nameoki road a couple days ago, just in time to see a guy on a lawn mower at Long John Silvers mowing over trash, bags and cups etc...and that crap was blowing all into the street. It looked like someone dumped 5 gallons of confetti onto the road way.
Our curbs, and bus stops, and streets are covered in grass clippings, trash, dirt and rock, and chipped concrete, our town looks like a dump because of it!
Drive down the streets of Edwardsville or Glen Carbon and you don't see that sh*t, so don't even try to say all cities have this problem, because they don't. It's because they deal with it, they actually clean it. They have street sweepers and road crews that deal with it.
Every single commercial property owner in this town, regardless if they have an open and operating business or not, should have to maintain their grounds. Keep it free of trash and weeds, and keep the grass cut.
If they fail to do so, the city should hire it done and bill them for the services. If they don't pay the bill, then they should put a lien on the property. I'm sick to death of the city living up to it's negative reputation, clean it up!
I keep my yard, drive way and curb clean and trash free. Everyone else, especially the commercial properties along Nameoki rd and Madison avenue should too.