Pacifica Riptide

Supreme Court Corporate Sponsorships

Coastside Scavenger Morphs into Recology: Higher Rates Built on Fraud

OPINION/ANALYSIS BY LIONEL EMDE, RIPTIDE CORRESPONDENT

Pacifica ratepayers will be abandoned once more by the proposed new garbage collection contract up for final approval by Pacifica City Council. Pacificans already pay the highest rates for garbage collection in San Mateo County, yet instead of using the business failure of former Pacifica trash hauler Coastside Scavenger as an opportunity for better service and lower rates, council is opting for different service and the same rates—soon to go higher.
 
The contract is slated to be awarded to Recology (formerly Norcal Waste), which is paying the bad debts of Louis Picardo, owner of Coastside Scavenger, to the City of Pacifica, in exchange for a fat eight-year contract that opens at current rates but allows for even higher rates as soon as August 2010. After initial discussion February 8, council may schedule further debate. Check the city Web site for updates: CITY OF PACIFICA
 
The already-highest rates in San Mateo County will increase by another 5 percent in August 2010, according to the secretly worked-out agreement. More rate increases are already included in the hitherto secret agreement, in which rates will increase another 4 percent to 8 percent by March 2011. Where were the public’s advocates at this negotiating table? Evidently nowhere, in this time of pay cuts, job losses, and people losing their homes outright.
 
Coastside Scavenger sought to conceal its financial state, as evidenced by its refusal to open its books and those of its sister company Seacoast Disposal to auditors. The City of Pacifica never fought the issue fully in court to compel the full audit necessary to ascertain the state of these quasi-public agencies’ books and to determine where all the ratepayers’ money was going.
 
Here’s a question that’s never been answered: Why are Pacificans charged so much more than the same company’s customers south of Devil’s Slide? CLICK HERE FOR SOME IDEAS

Here’s another set of questions about where the money’s been going all these years that we have been gouged: CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW THE MONEY
 
If these articles don’t raise questions in your mind, then consider the timing of the Friday-to-Monday slam-dunk by which this rich contract was to be awarded to Recology: The emailed council agenda packet was sent and arrived at 1:18 Friday afternoon, February 5. Coincidentally, city hall closed at 1:30 on Friday afternoon. The council meeting was on the following Monday, so there really was no time to react, and certainly the unwashed public wouldn’t know what hit ’em. This is the same process by which the last rate increase was maneuvered in 2008: public notice at the last minute and then a 9 percent rate increase.
 
And the real reason for the council’s evident eagerness for high rates can be seen in the new contract, which, like the old contract, calls for 11 percent of gross receipts going to the city, plus a "contingency fee" of $100,000 per year, plus a "Frontierland Park Remediation Fee" of $75,000 per year. (Frontierland Park is a former trash dump site.) There is also an option for a "Vehicle Impact Fee" being established in the future. What that might be is not detailed. So it’s very much in the city’s interest not only to keep rates at an all-time high but to increase them as soon as possible. It amounts to a backdoor tax.
 
The council should feel shame for such an underhanded fraud being foisted on ratepayers. The correct way to protect ratepayers is a request for proposal (RFP) process. At least two (2) other waste haulers are interested in this contract. The winning bidder usually pays costs associated with the RFP process, so there is no risk for ratepayers. Local business complains regularly about exorbitant rates charged for Dumpsters and debris boxes. Are we interested in helping people or in gouging them? Only time will tell if the people have any advocates on this City Council.
 

Parks, Beaches, Recreation: Spring Sign-Ups

Just a reminder from Pacifica's Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Department. Registration for Spring 2010 classes starts on Wednesday, February 10. We have something for everyone, whether you are looking for an exercise/yoga class, dance classes, an art class for the kids, dog training, clutter management, martial arts, etc. Check out the offerings and CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP ONLINE or come into our office at 1810 Francisco Boulevard. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Fridays. Wednesday nights we are open until 7:30 p.m. We have an early-registration discount for Adventure Camp. New this year: one-week sessions for Adventure Camp. Registration for Spring Swim Lessons starts March 15. Also, don't miss the City of Pacifica's website for current events. CLICK HERE TO CHECK IT OUT. If you have questions about any of our classes and programs, call 650-738-7381.

Garbage In, Garbage Out: Can City Council's Recology-Scavenger Deal Pass the Sniff Test?

The wheels are greased, as they say, and on February 8, Pacifica City Council began the process of transferring Coastside Scavenger (our city's garbage company) to Recology. Council watchers are up in arms about council's search-and-selection process or lack thereof: requests for proposals (if any), due diligence (if any), deal making (if any). Details, details. Stay tuned to this station for more on this very ripe subject, as public debate over this contract continues. Scroll down here to Comments and leave your feedback. Check the city Web site for updates: CITY OF PACIFICA

WILEY RIPOSTE

RIPTIDE SANITATION CORRESPONDENT

California Brown Pelicans Sick and Dying

Wildlife rescue centers in California have written to state and federal authorities to request their urgent attention and support in dealing with an unprecedented number of sick, dying adult California Brown Pelicans being recovered from the California coastline. To date, four organizations (International Bird Rescue Research Center, Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center, Pacific Wildlife Care and Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network) have received nearly 500 pelicans since January 1, creating a severe strain on human and financial resources for each organization. The wildlife groups ask the public to support rescue efforts by donating money and volunteering to help. Contact BIRD RESCUE RESEARCH CENTER

Shelter Cove Artist Mary Harris @ PCT, Feb. 9-13

Kathleen Manning, executive producer of Pacifica Historical Society's PCT 26 show Footprints of Pacifica, recently invited me to interview Mary Harris. We ended up with two shows: #76 "Pacifica Artist Mary Harris" and  #77 "Shelter Cove's Mary Harris." We shot both shows on location at Shelter Cove and finalized production at PCT studios. Here are airtimes. You can watch on cable channel 26 or in real time online at PCT 26

February 9 at 8 p.m., Shelter Cove's Mary Harris
February 12 at 3 p.m., Shelter Cove's Mary Harris
February 13 at 5 p.m., Shelter Cove's Mary Harris

SHARRON WALKER

Beach Coalition: Earth Day Planning, Feb. 9 & 11

What difference will you make?
For us to continue to grow (we expect 5,000 people this year) so that we can help the earth as it needs,  the Pacifica Beach Coalition is reaching out to the community to find teams of people to help with a single aspect of the Earth Day planning. Would you or someone you know be interested in joining a team of people who are planning and organizing Earth Day in Pacifica? Would your group be interested in tackling one aspect of it. There are a million ways to help, starting with joining us at an organizational meeting. We have 3 meetings coming up this week and next. If you would like to be more involved or help make this Earth Day the best one ever in Pacifica, please consider joining us at one or more of the following meetings. And if you know anyone else who might like to help with any of these groups, please invite them, too.

• Earth Day organizational meeting Tuesday, February 9 at 6 p.m. Pacifica Library, Community Room (104 Hilton Way). Earth Day of Action in Pacifica will be on April 24. Come join a team of people and work on one aspect that suits you best, planning, promotion, recordkeeping, outreach,  financing, business outreach, school outreach, community group outreach.  
• Pacifica Beach Coalition meeting Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m. Pacifica Library, Community Room (104 Hilton Way). Join this dynamic team of people for their monthly meeting as they  plan for Earth Day and hear Lizzy Claycombe, Pacifica's pollution prevention coordinator, speak about mandates and efforts the City of Pacifica is doing to reduce stormwater pollution.
  

Thank you for your collective energies making our world a better place. Please continue the outreach and bring anyone to the meetings you think might be interested and have something to contribute.
Lynn Adams
Pacifica Beach Coalition, President
Pedro Point Headlands, Volunteer Coordinator
"Engaging community, building community,
helping a special place, helping the world"

Golden Gate Park Volunteer Fair, February 10

Golden Gate Volunteer Fair, Wednesday, February 10, for anyone interested in volunteering and getting involved in Golden Gate Park. Conservatory of Flowers, San Francisco. GOLDEN GATE PARK VOLUNTEER FAIR

Washington Winter White-Out

  Robert Maybury photo

Old Images: Cliff House, Sutro Baths, Ocean Beach

HISTORICAL POSTCARDS