Considering the long stretch of winter weather, some people might have expected Butler’s downtown business district to look more littered than it appears to be.

That’s the positive observation; the negative one is that there is still plenty of spring cleanup work to be done.

A walk up or down Main Street shows the usual array of litter, albeit not as much as in some past years. Meanwhile, the anti-skid material on Main Street is not as significant as in prior years, so street cleanup should be easier than in some recent years.

But with the arrival of spring, people and businesses in the downtown as well as residential neighborhoods should start thinking about helping the city put on its best face. That will involve physical effort.

The past winter provided few pleasant days for getting outdoors; there were few thaw periods to allow a jump-start on cleanup chores.

It’s true that Butler County still might be facing some additional bad weather before spring finally takes hold.

But what about the city of Butler, which is the county seat? While each individual community outside the city has its own sense of pride and responsibility to consider, it’s the appearance of the city that, for many people, shapes their attitude about the county in general.

That’s why there’s a significant obligation for the city not to procrastinate on the spring cleanup work.

While people in the various residential neighborhoods should concentrate on their individual properties, downtown businesses should work toward a coordinated effort to accomplish the cleanup task with the least amount of disruption to the normal flow of business.

The city should participate in that effort by temporarily closing blocks on Main Street to parking to accommodate the work. Sidewalk and curb cleanup will be much easier and involve much less time if vehicles aren’t in the way.

Businesses should communicate with one another about the best time for the work and then approach the city about temporary parking restrictions.

But additional work is needed besides picking up debris on the streets, sidewalks and curbs. It’s important for businesses to have their windows washed and to refresh window displays to help boost the downtown beautification initiative.

None of what is needed would involve an inordinate amount of time but, with everyone working together, Butler can really look nice as Easter and summer near.

Perhaps people assigned to community service as the penalty for minor crimes could spend time helping the cleanup work. Likewise, community organizations should dedicate themselves to assisting and promoting the effort.

What’s important is a willingness by the whole city to get involved in eradicating the ravages of a nasty, cold and long winter.

Individuals, businesses and groups have stepped forward in the past. Now, a new cleanup challenge lies ahead.

With a better starting situation than has existed in some past years, this year’s work can be seen as a piece of cake.