For a second week Mayor Bob Donchez was joined by Lehigh University and other local officials to announce a public safety initiative centered on Downtown Southside.

The new Community Ambassadors Program, funded largely by Lehigh and run by Bethlehem Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO), will place uniformed employees on the streets to enhance neighborhood maintenance and foster community solidarity.

Responsibilities of these ambassadors, who will be hired from the community but employed by Louisville, Ky. company Block by Block, will include; daily litter, trash and graffiti clean-up, foliage care, community outreach and simply being a presence to assist businesses, visitors and police.

Community and Economic Development Director Alicia Carter said the program is an additional incentive to revitalize the neighborhood, and help boost the growing hospitality and tourism attraction to the Southside. "Having a friendly face, having a clean neighborhood, is critical to having [visitors] here and patronizing our businesses."

The initial Block by Block/BEDCO contract is for three years at a cost of $270,000 per year. Lehigh University is paying the majority of that sum annually, with other local businesses offering the remaining $70,000. Carter said positions are now available and the program will officially begin Oct. 1.

Carter did not describe shift lengths, but said ambassadors, in groups of perhaps five, will likely be working from around 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. They will be administered by BEDCO with collaboration with the city, and it's expected that to ensure success the Southside community act as another full partner. "Ultimately I think we'll see a committee that oversees the program. It's not just a city and BEDCO initiative; it's a community initiative."