LAKE COUNTY >> The silver lining of the drought can be found at Clear Lake”s exposed shoreline. Low lake levels have brought attention to the amount of trash built up along the banks and a countywide cleanup day on Saturday has spurred organization of similar efforts inland.
With a fortunate break in the rain, 119 people met at sites along the shoreline in Lucerne, Clearlake Oaks and Clearlake Saturday morning. Just a few hours of effort filled three 15-cubic-yard dumpster with tires, shopping carts, batteries, Styrofoam, a mattress and even a flagpole.
“When you see the amount of garbage we took out and realize the effort that was made between the government and normal citizens, you know that”s a perfect medium,” Clearlake City Council member-elect Bruno Sabatier said. “The government provided the logistics, making it possible to drop off the garbage without paying dumping fees and providing gloves and bags, and the volunteers were the initiators in taking pride in their community.”
Sabatier said he planned a cleanup day for Clearlake in late November until he heard of Invasive Species Program Coordinator Carolyn Ruttan”s event, which would allow free-of-charge dumping at the landfill. The two collaborated and, even under gray skies, succeeded in bringing out a truly respectable sized group of volunteers.
The positive energy appears to be sticking as the ambitious group, made up of residents and county officials alike, has serious plans to keep up the good work.
Sabatier has his eyes set on cleaning up the avenues in Clearlake and resident Barbara Christwitz is reaching out to the homeless population to encourage trash pickup.
In Clearlake Oaks, residents Chuck Lamb and Holly Harris, who also participated in Saturday”s efforts, have their sights set on Clarks Island. The island hosted a subdivision of trailer parks until redevelopment funds allowed the county to turn the chunk of land into a public park.
The county did a good job cleaning up after the trailer park, Lamb said, but a number of pipes, old pilings and other trash were further uncovered by the low lake levels. Twenty-two rusted out barrels once used as dock floats were pulled out with the help of Shannon Ridge”s foreman Saturday and six volunteers combed the island for other debris.
Pending more funding, Lamb and Harris have a vision of creating an educational park out of the island, where a meandering path through vegetation will lead to interpretive signs showcasing points of interest. A windmill pumping water to a holding tank would allow for irrigation of the island”s plantings.
Meanwhile, Ruttan has plans to organize future cleanup events, which will focus on any area that needs attention and include the illegal dumping grounds that have been created out of the paper subdivisions in the foothills. She”s also thinking outside the box to provide incentives for volunteers to participate.
“We”re on a roll. Let”s keep it going people. Let”s make it a regular event,” Ruttan said.
Future cleanup efforts are subject to Public Services Director Caroline Chavez”s ability to obtain grants that allow the free-of-charge drop off at the landfill.
Recently, the Public Services Department also took steps to begin a pilot program for universal trash and recycling pick-up services for 11 community growth areas in the county. Currently, a “large majority” of property owners in those areas already subscribe to the county”s curbside service but the universal program would require all residents to subscribe, according to a memorandum presented to the Board of Supervisors.
Since county code mandate that residents must haul their trash every seven days, the subscription to the service would theoretically cost less than a resident may spend to take their trash to a landfill, which charges a minimum of $5 per load.
If somebody chooses not to pay, curbside services will still be provided but a resident may be subject to court penalties or a lien against their property, Deputy Public Services Director Jeff Rein said.
Starting with just two areas, the pilot program won”t begin until January 2016 and full implication won”t take place until at least a year after that.
The enthusiasm for improving the county”s environment is refreshing and contagious, volunteers say.
The effects of improper trash disposal on a community is not limited to the environment or aesthetic appeal of an area alone. Studies show neighborhoods with litter problems tend to have higher crime and unemployment rates.
In Lake County, “it”s got to a point that I think in a lot of areas, trash is more or less expected,” Ruttan said. “There is one absolute truth about trash and that is trash begets more trash. If you drive past a place that is extraordinarily trashy you are way more inclined to add more to that trash because nobody is going to notice.”
But with cleaner streets comes greater community pride, which fosters a sense of responsibility for residents” environment. In turn, that creates a healthier community, Ruttan argues.
“At the end of the day, we need to teach people not to litter by bringing pride to our communities. When people have a sense of pride and take ownership of their community, they act differently,” Ruttan said. “If we can figure this one out, we can go a long way and become a model for areas both in the county and outside of it.”
