Dear Editor,
Street sweepers are supposed to clean the streets. Our last “sweeping” left such a mess I wished they hadn’t come by.
There were a few puddles of standing water, but the ‘sweeper’ took the mess out of the gutter and smeared it out into the street. I don’t believe it picked up even three leaves in the whole block, counting both sides. The street was so much messier after the “sweeping.”
I waited two days to cool off, then called the company doing the “sweeping.” I got the voice mail of the manager in charge of the program. I didn’t say what I felt like saying for fear it would melt his recorder. I invited him to call me, or at least come look at the street; never saw – hence this letter.
When the city swept the streets, they were well cleaned. With South Valley Disposal “sweeping” them they look terrible. Even in dry weather they go so fast I’m surprised they haven’t been picked up on radar and cited for speeding.
I realize they get paid by the mile, but they cover the mile so fast they don’t earn their pay. It may be the fault of the machine, the operator, the manager or a combination of all three.
I feel the city should cancel the contract with South Valley and resume sweeping the streets. Even if they were swept only once a month it would be better than the smear we now get every two weeks.
We are not getting what we’re paying for. Once in a while the operator will do a decent job, but that doesn’t make up for the normal lousy job we get.
Let’s do away with South Valley doing the ‘sweeping’ and get back to clean streets.
Jim Laizure, Gilroy
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a
well-written letter.
