Questions or
complaints about street sweeping are consistently high on the
list of issues about which I hear from constituents. Examples of
recent question include the following:
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I seem to
recall that part of the street sweeping deal was that each
block had to have a certain level of compliance (with
respect to cars being moved on sweeping day) & in order to
facilitate this, the sweepers were to be equipped with
special camera equipment that could photograph the license
plates of unmoved cars & generate tickets, revenue for the
city of Richmond, & (eventually) a clear & clean street. Was
I dreaming this? The reason I ask is that my next-door
neighbors - they of the illegal backyard barn, too many
dogs, & assorted other annoyances - have been keeping one of
their cars parked, under a tarp, on the street in front of
their house for about THE LAST YEAR. Perhaps the camera
equipment couldn't shoot the license plate because it was
obscured by the tarp? I'm loath to report this since I want
to "get along" with my neighbors. But I was trusting that
the enforcement mechanism of the street sweeping program
would do the job for me. These neighbors have
three
other vehicles, one of which is now parked every night in
front of my house. (Two adults live in that house w/ 4
vehicles, btw.) The segment of our street in front of
their
house hasn't been swept in a year. Will this go on forever?
It's so very Tobacco Road. P.S., another sweeping snafu is
that one side of our street is swept on garbage-pickup day,
which means that the cans are in the way of the sweeper.
This scheduling problem, which affects several other blocks
in the N&E, has been reported to the appropriate agency &
letters/phone calls have been exchanged. Despite assurances
& promises, we are confident that nothing will ever, ever
change.
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When the
Council has nothing more pressing to discuss, maybe you
could discuss the fact that all over Richmond there are
streets where street-sweeping day coincides with garbage
pick-up day. The sweepers drive down the street, but never
sweep the curbs because they can't. Even if all the cars are
moved from the street, the sweepers still can't sweep the
curbs. Such a waste of money. Two blocks I know of
personally: 800 block of 37th St. west side and 600 block
of 32nd St. west side. I have heard there are many more.
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I send out
regular emails to 220+ residents in the Annex. A resident
just asked me about street sweeping and it reminded me to
ask you about it. Some of the streets in the annex are
routinely NOT being swept while many others are being swept.
Have you any information? I have heard that Richmond was
recently fined by RWQCB? Also, apparently a recent article
in the West County Times about street sweeping in Richmond (
I don’t get the paper). Something about the Annex being on
its own somehow? I think I was probably not given the
correct info by this resident. We just have opted for no
signage. Hoping for more detailed info from you. Thanks
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We have
made several attempts to the City of Richmond to voice our
concerns regarding street sweeping on our street and have
not been successful in receiving any help. Kern Street, the
900 block has become a series of asphalt patches, failed
street paving areas and loads of gravel and small rocks. We
have severe pot holes and failed areas that really need the
city's attention. This street really needs help. The street
sweeper comes and tosses the rocks about and makes the holes
deeper. Our neighbors and I voiced concerns many times to
the City. We did note that a city employee months ago did
survey the area and mark it for, of course, more patching,
which was done and has failed now.
The City has
been struggling with street sweeping for years. There have been
battles involving signs or no signs, the size of signs, the
number of signs on a block, the location of signs, whether or
not there will be fines and the coordination of street sweeping
schedules with garbage pickup schedules.
The Public
Services Department has recently released a comprehensive plan
for street sweeping, which is in the attached files.
Willie
Haywood, Deputy Public Services Director, provided the attached
plan and the following information:
“We are
continuing to install signs and we are now able to sweep our
narrower streets since we are in receipt of the smaller Tenant
sweepers. At the heart of the matter is PARKED VEHICLES. In the
presentation to council, ticketing and enforcement will be
outlined…We are not in the habit of making excuses and I am
confident we will make this work, and it is, as we successfully
swept the Parkway (in conjunction with the county) last week and
will continue weekly."
“As most
projects we are involved with in Operations and Maintenance
(Street lights, pot holes, graffiti, blight, and street
sweeping), these are our "main battery" and with our
reconstituted department, we are establishing aggressive plans
of actions to address these areas. I welcome and encourage all
queries relative to our department.”
Rochelle Monk
(Rochelle_monk@ci.richmond.ca.us),
who is the “go to” person for complaints and requests regarding
City Services, also notes:
“The article
in the West County Times was incorrect in stating that the
Richmond Annex opted out of the street sweeping program;
Richmond Annex opted/petitioned for no signage.”