Hazardous waste: “Hi Red Phone. Here’s my complaint: Sometime around July 3, somebody dumped a 5-gallon bucket of human waste in the alley on La Coche Way, behind our house. The smell is horrendous. We’ve made numerous phone calls everyday to the city.
On the 5th, they decided to come out and clean it up. They bypassed the poop and contuinued cleaning up the other debris. The smell is horrendous, besides being a health hazard. I was hoping you could help me. Thank you for your time.”
City staff sympathizes with your plight, caller. It’s  a familiar one for the area, according to Code Enforcement Officer Scott Barron.
“It’s kind of a hidden area and people go out there and dump stuff,” Barron acknowledged. “That area is also a problem because of the homeless people. Those two things together do become a problem for the city and residents.”
He said clean-up crews responded to the caller’s complaint by July 6, but that staff are now working on a long-term solution to the problem that could involve installing a fence to restrict access to the area.
“City crews have agreed to go through once a week at least until we come up with a secondary plan to deal with it,” Barron said.
Residents with complaints should contact Barron at 846-0264.
What happened to Mondays?: “Hello, I was wondering if the Gilroy paper is delivered on Mondays. This is the second Monday in a row that we haven’t received a paper. That’s about it.”
This is the second column in a row that Red Phone has addressed this issue … and it will be the last. Last year, when the Dispatch revamped its design, it became a morning paper delivered Tuesday through Saturday. The Dispatch is not, repeat, not delivered on Sunday or Monday.
Missing mail drop: “Hi, I’m calling about my favorite mail drop, right near Wren where all the doctor’s offices are … Near Wren and Third, by all the dental offices. And it’s gone! I used to swing by on my way to work and drop some mail in and it’s not there. What happened to it? Will it be back? Thanks.”
Post office supervisors did not return phone calls, but it’s possible that the mail drop was removed for repairs, but we’ll keep on the post office until we know for sure.
Postal pics: “What’s going on? I just saw today my mail carrier was taking pictures of cars parked in front on the mailboxes. Is that the new policy now, are they taking pictures? I’d like to know what the follow up to that is. Keep up the good work.”
Once again, post office officials did not return calls, but one local carrier said that the carrier who you saw snapping photos of cars was definitely not following a new policy.
Have your say: Do you have a comment, complaint or compliment about an issue that affects Gilroy and its residents? Perhaps you’d like to suggest a turn signal at a troubled intersection? Or maybe offer up a compliment for a good job done by city workers? Just let the Red Phone know. But remember to leave a name and number when you call or e-mail. The Red Phone won’t publish this information – it will only be used if verification is necessary. Contact the Red Phone at 842-9070 or e-mail re******@************ch.com.
If you call in about a problem with a streetlight or suggestion for a turn signal, please give the intersection street names. It makes it easier for the Red Phone to report the problems or offer the city suggestions.
