Madison - With a record-setting winter wrapping up, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said today that City efforts are now turning to the task of cleaning up.

"Just like Madison families do a spring cleaning in their homes, now it's time for the City to get spruced up," said Mayor Cieslewicz. "In the weeks to come, we'll be out with street sweepers, yard waste collection and other efforts to put winter behind us and get ready for spring."

Spring cleanup work getting underway includes:

• Double shifts of street sweeping to clear streets of the 15,000 tons of sand that was used this winter before it gets washed into the storm sewers and lakes.
• Clearing the acres of concrete street medians of sand and debris.
• Curbside yard waste collection - two collections for each residence, starting on April 7.
• Curbside brush collection - once a month, starting April 7.
• Summer hours for yard waste drop off, which started on March 29.
• Getting parks facilities ready for use, such as baseball fields, park shelters, etc.
• Taking care of traffic signs that were knocked over or damaged during the winter.
• Cleaning up graffiti on City buildings.
• Resuming the Water Utility's water main flushing program to clear out sediment and accumulated materials.
• Permanent patching of potholes will start in the coming weeks, as production from blacktop plants starts to come on line.

One of the ways residents can help with Spring Cleanup '08 is by letting the City know of areas that need attention. To make a report, and for more information about Madison's Spring Cleanup '08, visit www.cityofmadison.com/residents/spring/.