Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

San Diego watersheds trashed by street sweeping negligence

"Many routes with high debris are designated as low priority," audit finds

An avalanche of trash and pollutants is threatening San Diego streets and watersheds during the waning days of Mayor Kevin Faulconer's tenure for reasons including chronic street sweeping negligence, per a report by interim city auditor Kyle Elser.

"Route priorities and sweeping frequencies have not been updated in approximately five years," says a performance audit of the city's Transportation and Stormwater Department's Street Sweeping Section, released September 22.

"Many routes' debris levels do not correlate with their respective priority levels. In fact, the priority level is often opposite what it should be," the document says.

"We found that sweeping in Los Peñasquitos and Tijuana River watershed areas is not prioritized," according to the report.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"Comparing debris with route priorities in these two watershed areas, many routes with high debris are designated as low priority."

"Specifically, of the 86 routes with high debris in our sample, 11 of 17 of Los Peñasquitos routes are designated as low priority "

Penasquitos and Tijuana River areas shortchanged

"Two of three of Tijuana River's high debris routes are also designated as low priority. Because most of these routes are designated as low priority, they also have lower planned sweeping frequencies."

Much of the problem was laid by auditors to a host of outdated management metrics and practices, including manual data-keeping, that the city has been slow to change, the report says.

"We found that some routes with relatively high amounts of debris are swept less frequently than optimal, while at the same time, other routes with relatively low amounts of debris are swept at a higher than optimal frequency. This likely reduces the total amount of sweeping street debris collected," according to the audit.

"Although routes changes have been made over time, likely as a result of staff observations and community input, they have not been adjusted using data that will allow for a global analysis."

"The limited ability to make timely adjustments affects Street Sweeping's potential to reduce the maximum amount pollutants possible from entering San Diego's waterways, thus increasing potential harm to wildlife, native vegetation, as well as recreation areas,” auditors warned.

"Street Sweeping's current key performance indicator—annual miles swept—does not reflect the effectiveness at achieving its purpose, removing debris and sediment from City streets."

"Our observations show that routes vary in miles swept and that the number of miles swept does not necessarily correlate with the amount of debris collected," per the document.

"Additionally, Street Sweeping has kept the same target number of annual miles swept, even though this goal has not been met in the past four fiscal years."

The audit recommends increasing the number of street sweeping routes which have signs advising motorists that their cars will be ticketed if parked on city streets during specified towing hours, a practice previously resisted by management.

"Street Sweeping states that adding posted routes requires budget approval to cover initial first-year costs that involves staff working with other departments, filling new parking enforcement staff positions, getting new equipment, posting of the new signs (materials and labor), and initial public outreach and flyering."

A September 11 memo to Elser from Transportation & Stormwater director Kris McFadden did not dispute the audit's findings, but suggested changes to past practices may be costly. "Future budget requests will be made accordingly and will compete with future General Fund priorities."

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Elevated ice crystals lead to solar halos, Cottonwoods still showing their tawny foliage

New moon brings high tides this weekend
Next Article

La Clochette brings croissants—and cassoulet—to Mission Valley

Whatever's going on with this bakery business, Civita Park residents get a decent meal

An avalanche of trash and pollutants is threatening San Diego streets and watersheds during the waning days of Mayor Kevin Faulconer's tenure for reasons including chronic street sweeping negligence, per a report by interim city auditor Kyle Elser.

"Route priorities and sweeping frequencies have not been updated in approximately five years," says a performance audit of the city's Transportation and Stormwater Department's Street Sweeping Section, released September 22.

"Many routes' debris levels do not correlate with their respective priority levels. In fact, the priority level is often opposite what it should be," the document says.

"We found that sweeping in Los Peñasquitos and Tijuana River watershed areas is not prioritized," according to the report.

Sponsored
Sponsored

"Comparing debris with route priorities in these two watershed areas, many routes with high debris are designated as low priority."

"Specifically, of the 86 routes with high debris in our sample, 11 of 17 of Los Peñasquitos routes are designated as low priority "

Penasquitos and Tijuana River areas shortchanged

"Two of three of Tijuana River's high debris routes are also designated as low priority. Because most of these routes are designated as low priority, they also have lower planned sweeping frequencies."

Much of the problem was laid by auditors to a host of outdated management metrics and practices, including manual data-keeping, that the city has been slow to change, the report says.

"We found that some routes with relatively high amounts of debris are swept less frequently than optimal, while at the same time, other routes with relatively low amounts of debris are swept at a higher than optimal frequency. This likely reduces the total amount of sweeping street debris collected," according to the audit.

"Although routes changes have been made over time, likely as a result of staff observations and community input, they have not been adjusted using data that will allow for a global analysis."

"The limited ability to make timely adjustments affects Street Sweeping's potential to reduce the maximum amount pollutants possible from entering San Diego's waterways, thus increasing potential harm to wildlife, native vegetation, as well as recreation areas,” auditors warned.

"Street Sweeping's current key performance indicator—annual miles swept—does not reflect the effectiveness at achieving its purpose, removing debris and sediment from City streets."

"Our observations show that routes vary in miles swept and that the number of miles swept does not necessarily correlate with the amount of debris collected," per the document.

"Additionally, Street Sweeping has kept the same target number of annual miles swept, even though this goal has not been met in the past four fiscal years."

The audit recommends increasing the number of street sweeping routes which have signs advising motorists that their cars will be ticketed if parked on city streets during specified towing hours, a practice previously resisted by management.

"Street Sweeping states that adding posted routes requires budget approval to cover initial first-year costs that involves staff working with other departments, filling new parking enforcement staff positions, getting new equipment, posting of the new signs (materials and labor), and initial public outreach and flyering."

A September 11 memo to Elser from Transportation & Stormwater director Kris McFadden did not dispute the audit's findings, but suggested changes to past practices may be costly. "Future budget requests will be made accordingly and will compete with future General Fund priorities."

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Last plane out of Seoul, 1950

Memories of a daring escape at the start of a war
Next Article

O’side Tree Lighting & Gift Market, Holiday Lights at the Museum, The Elovaters and Little Stranger

Events December 5-December 6, 2024
Comments
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Sept. 28, 2020
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Oct. 12, 2020
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader