Street sweepings, and cost, to increase

Eron Ben-Yehuda

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- A private company will take over street sweeping

duties Monday.

Some say the work will be superior to municipal services, but others

argue it comes at a cost of nearly twice the amount city staffers say

they would need to do the job. The source of that extra money? New

parking fines.

For the first time since 1996, road cleaning will increase from once to

twice a month. The work will be split between a city work crew and a

private company, Norwalk-based Nationwide Environmental Services, which

was awarded a two-year contract worth $330,000 annually.

The president of the municipal employees association, Tom Hasty, said his

members can do a better job for about $180,000 per year.

“Why are we doing this when we know we can do it cheaper?” he asked. “I

don’t think that’s fair to the public.”

Not everyone is so sure city employees can outperform a private company,

and comparing their work should settle any doubts, City Councilman Dave

Sullivan said.

The street sweeping contract, which the council approved Oct. 18, is just

one example of the city’s new philosophy of government -- managed

competition, which aims to make government run more efficiently, for less

money, with the help of the private sector.

City staffers bristle at the notion that outsiders are muscling in on

their turf. But City Councilman Dave Garofalo said government must be

downsized to its “core” functions, which may or may not include street

sweeping.

The money paid to Nationwide will be recouped with revenue generated by

citations issued to those parked in the path of the sweepers, according

to an Oct. 18 city memo.

Sullivan said he expects at least one parking citation before he begins

to obey the new parking restrictions.

To help everyone ease into the swing of things, warnings will be issued

during November and December, according to a city memo dated Oct. 21.

Beginning Jan. 3, residents will be fined if they fail to obey posted

signs alerting them to what streets are off-limits and at what times.

For information on the new restrictions, call the city’s Infoline at

374-4800, message 405.