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ATWATER -- While the streets of Atwater are most definitely not paved with gold, keeping all 90 miles of them clean is still important to residents.
Tipster Pearl White called Tip List recently complaining that the city streets are going uncleaned.
So I called the city to see what is going on.
Merced Sun-Star - PHOTO BY BEA AHBECK
A street sweeper cleans Eucalyptus Street in Atwater. Because of funding cuts, the city has reduced the amount of street cleaning.
I was told by city staff that street cleaning has been cut to an as-needed basis because of budgetary shortfalls.
"It's a cutback in services," said Dave Church, the city's director of public works.
You got that right.
Since mid July, when the full-time street sweeper retired, the city has not been able to fill the position for lack of funds, said Church. The street cleaner used to clean every street about twice a month, said Church. Now they do the cleaning in eight hour shifts twice a week. Other than that, the city can only afford to clean the streets when some really big mess covers the roadways, he said.
"I just know I couldn't fill the position. They told me we didn't have money to fill it," said Eric Sorensen who is in charge of the city's streets division.
In the meantime, the city has moved one of its employees from street maintenance over to street cleaning.
But the employee won't be doing street cleaning. From November to January he will be cleaning leaves from the city's streets.
Why has the city all of a sudden lost the ability to pay someone to clean its streets?
If you recall, in July the City Council voted down a proposed water and sewer rate increase. If that increase would have been passed by voters, the city could have continued to pay for a street cleaner full time. Without it, the streets will have go on being dirty.
City Manager Greg Wellman said he never liked the fact the street cleaning position was not filled. "I thought it was not a good idea," he said about the lack of street cleaning in Atwater. But since the council voted against raising rates, he said, Atwater cannot hire a replacement for the street cleaner who retired, he said.
What is wrong? The city of Atwater can't properly clean its streets because it doesn't have enough money to pay a full time street cleaner.
Who is at fault? The City Council for not raising water and sanitation rates back in July.
Tip off the tip list!
If you see something broken or in need of repair in your neighborhood, call the Sun-Star Tip List reporter, Jonah Owen Lamb, with your tips at (209) 385-2484 or e-mail jlamb@mercedsun-star.com.
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