City of Flagstaff staff updated the Sustainability Commission Oct. 20 on the Engage, Empower, Elevate (E3) program, which hires people experiencing or at risk of homelessness to remove litter and do outreach, and reported metrics the city says show substantial pickup of trash.

Stephen (Steve) Thompson, section manager for neighborhood engagement and volunteer services, said the program—funded through bed, beverage and other lodging‑related tax dollars—was awarded to Community Assistance Teams of Flagstaff (CATS) beginning in 2022. “Since July…this program has removed more than 28,000 pounds of litter from our community,” Thompson said, citing the program’s fiscal year reporting (July–June) and noting the figure derives from a count of collected 33‑gallon bags multiplied by an average bag weight.

Thompson described a staffing model change: CATS initially operated the program as day‑labor with variable participation; under the revised model it pays minimum wage for a smaller number of workers on more regular assignments (Thompson said the program typically supports four to six individuals at a time). He and other staff said there have been several success stories in which participants moved into full‑time employment and permanent housing after participating in the program.

Thompson said the city’s annual grant to CATS for the E3 program is $30,000, and he noted that in one year a state partnership temporarily doubled that funding to $60,000. The city monitors the program through monthly reports, Thompson said, and staff provided data on bags of trash and person‑hours to the commission.

Commissioners asked how the E3 program’s routes intersect with other volunteer efforts—such as Adopt‑a‑Avenue/Adopt‑a‑Stream—and Thompson said CATS uses set routes for outreach and that overlap is possible and welcome because multiple groups removing litter increases neighborhood reach and outreach opportunities.

Thompson said CATS plans to present the E3 program’s annual update to City Council on Nov. 18, at which point staff expect more detailed statistics and a PowerPoint summary of outcomes.