The Louisiana Garden Club Federation announced that the City of Monroe won the 2019 Cleanest City Contest for Category I. After advancing from the District competition this past March, Monroe advanced to the state level judging in April and competed against Alexandria and Lake Charles in the Population Category I.
Mayor Jamie Mayo says, “We are Monroe Proud to receive this award. Our city is cleaner and moving in the right direction. It is a testament to the hard work of our Keep Monroe Beautiful Director Greg Smith, Public Works and Code Enforcement personnel. But, most importantly, it shows that the residents of Monroe take pride in the place we all call home. We appreciate the LGCF for the work they do to encourage our communities to look their best.”
Jean Gilstrap, Louisiana Garden Club Federation Cleanest City Chairman, says “Every city has a planned route for judges to view. However, this is not a cleanest route contest – it’s a cleanest city contest. So, this year, we went off route during our judging. And, we plan to alter routes in the future. The competition was close, but I am very proud of Monroe for having placed first in the LGCF Cleanest City Contest for 2019.”
The primary goal of the LGCF Cleanest City Contest is to become a litter free Louisiana. The contest is over 60 years old. Volunteer judges visit participating cities and rate them on cleanliness. Cities are categorized by population (Groups A-J). The 2019 judges were: Patsy Hebert (Abbeville), Shirley Key (Oak Grove), and Kyle Martin (Covington).