The city’s Environmental Services department marked its first anniversary since branching out on its own. The festivities took place last Tuesday, which coincided with the start of the city's fiscal year, and were complete with nature-themed decor and a charcuterie spread in the Fort Worth Council Chamber.
The celebration included an array of educational tables where divisions like Environmental Quality, and Consumer Health showcased their services. Solid Waste Services, as well as Keep Fort Worth Beautiful, were also represented with interactive displays like mosquito sampling stations and food scrap composting kits. Though the details sound like your usual department catch-up, this event carried the weight of collective achievement, and the removal of 19.6 million pounds of litter was just one milestone worth noting.
Director Cody Whittenburg, along with his executive team and Assistant City Manager Valerie Washington, took to the podium to speak on the department's accomplishments. "The arrival of 12 new street sweepers, 293 air-quality investigations, and 12,160 health inspections," were among the successes highlighted in the speech, as per the City of Fort Worth.
Support for Environmental Services was palpable, with city bigwigs like Mayor Mattie Parker and a roster of councilmembers in attendance. "It’s amazing to see so many [people] show up to support and celebrate our department’s one-year anniversary," Jennifer Pilkington, an HR administrative assistant, told the City of Fort Worth. Her colleague, Chris Harper echoed that sentiment, recognizing the unique nature of such an event and the "hard work and accomplishments of our first year."
