For the third time in three years, the city of Ceres is changing the company for street sweeping service.
On Monday the Ceres City Council skipped over current provider Contract Sweeping Servives (CSS) of Stockton in favor of a contractor pledging to sweep Ceres streets for less cost.
Clean Sweep Environmental (CSE) of Rocklin bid the job at a rate of $13.45 per curb mile, or approximately $91,460 per year. Last year CSS lowered its rate from $14.94 per curb mile to $13.40 per curb mile but upped their most recent bid at $14.94. But City Council members also expressed concern about the quality of the work performed by CSS. Last fall the council voiced the need to have a program in place within a year to measure how well they are sweeping. A vocal critic of CSS, Councilman Ken Lane, complained Monday that he sees "a lot of sand and dirt being spread out with not a lot of water being used."
Last year then Public Works Director Phil Scott told the council that much of the complaints about street sweeping quality stemmed from the fact that the city still has a leaf and limb program in which residents can store vegetation debris in the streets next to gutters. Often the street sweeper has to go around piles in the street. The city could eliminate the problem in the future, recommended Scott, by having residents use a third Toter for green waste like many cities have.
On Monday current Public Works Director/City Engineer Glenn Gebhardt noted that the new contractor will have to work with Bertolotti Ceres Disposal to better coordinate pick-up of leaf and limb debris and sweeping.
Councilman Guillermo Ochoa noted that some residents are under the false assumption they can place piles of grass clippings in the street. That's not the case, and Gebhardt has instructed Bertolotti employees to not pick up grass clippings and to advise residents to refrain from doing so.
The city will be performing six-. nine- and 12-month reviews of all yearly contracts to make sure the contractor is performing to the satisfaction of city officials.
Councilman Bret Durossette said he was concerned about the company being located in Rocklin but a representative said his company would establish a local driver and truck. CSE plans to assign one truck to sweep Ceres.
The contract with CSS expires on Oct. 12.
Street sweeping services must be confined to the hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 11 hours per day. The contract calls for a sweeper to pass no faster than 8 mph with light debris or 7 mph during the leaf and limb program.
Ceres streets are swept every other week, or 26 times a year. Annually the curb mileage swept equals about 6,800.
In 2007 the city canceled service with ABC Sweeping, a local company, in favor of CSS.
On Monday the Ceres City Council skipped over current provider Contract Sweeping Servives (CSS) of Stockton in favor of a contractor pledging to sweep Ceres streets for less cost.
Clean Sweep Environmental (CSE) of Rocklin bid the job at a rate of $13.45 per curb mile, or approximately $91,460 per year. Last year CSS lowered its rate from $14.94 per curb mile to $13.40 per curb mile but upped their most recent bid at $14.94. But City Council members also expressed concern about the quality of the work performed by CSS. Last fall the council voiced the need to have a program in place within a year to measure how well they are sweeping. A vocal critic of CSS, Councilman Ken Lane, complained Monday that he sees "a lot of sand and dirt being spread out with not a lot of water being used."
Last year then Public Works Director Phil Scott told the council that much of the complaints about street sweeping quality stemmed from the fact that the city still has a leaf and limb program in which residents can store vegetation debris in the streets next to gutters. Often the street sweeper has to go around piles in the street. The city could eliminate the problem in the future, recommended Scott, by having residents use a third Toter for green waste like many cities have.
On Monday current Public Works Director/City Engineer Glenn Gebhardt noted that the new contractor will have to work with Bertolotti Ceres Disposal to better coordinate pick-up of leaf and limb debris and sweeping.
Councilman Guillermo Ochoa noted that some residents are under the false assumption they can place piles of grass clippings in the street. That's not the case, and Gebhardt has instructed Bertolotti employees to not pick up grass clippings and to advise residents to refrain from doing so.
The city will be performing six-. nine- and 12-month reviews of all yearly contracts to make sure the contractor is performing to the satisfaction of city officials.
Councilman Bret Durossette said he was concerned about the company being located in Rocklin but a representative said his company would establish a local driver and truck. CSE plans to assign one truck to sweep Ceres.
The contract with CSS expires on Oct. 12.
Street sweeping services must be confined to the hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., 11 hours per day. The contract calls for a sweeper to pass no faster than 8 mph with light debris or 7 mph during the leaf and limb program.
Ceres streets are swept every other week, or 26 times a year. Annually the curb mileage swept equals about 6,800.
In 2007 the city canceled service with ABC Sweeping, a local company, in favor of CSS.
