Mayor Steve DeBrum thinks it is time for the City of Manteca to clean-up some trash issues.
One pertains to the city not having lockable commercial garbage bins and the other has to do with proposed garbage rate hikes and how they will pose severe hardship on senior citizens on “real” restricted incomes that don’t quite qualify for the senior citizen low-income discount.
DeBrum made it clear to staff at Tuesday’s Manteca City Council meeting that he’d like to see the two issues addressed by staff. He went an extra step and urged his fellow council members to “look long and hard” at the proposed rate increases in a bid to keep costs down for ratepayers. Earlier in the meeting when  the council was preparing to award a $2.5 million  bid to drill new water wells at Yosemite Park and Shasta Park for municipal drinking water as well as have five abandoned wells plugged, he pointed out ways the city could save some money. An example was a bid item of $6,500 to remove several trees at the parks for the well projects. After pressing staff, they conceded they could do it cheaper,
The lockable commercial bins is one of those infamous Manteca issues that surfaces every two or so years after merchants have had their fill and then is discussed with staff saying they’ll look into it and nothing happens.
The problem for merchants is multi-faceted.
uScavengers — the homeless primarily — rummage through contents looking for recyclables, food, and possible items they can repurpose for makeshift encampments leaving items strewn on the ground. That forces merchants to pick up the trash.
uPeople under cloak of darkness will toss items into the commercial bins. This creates five problems. One, it takes up space the business needs for garbage. Two, if it overflows too much because of the illegal dumping the city won’t collect the dumpster. Three, since they can’t have garbage laying around on their premises they will sometimes ask and pay for an additional pick up. Four, to reduce the almost daily issues with illegal trash dumping some merchants have resorted either to paying for larger bins or footing the bill for more frequent collections. Five, the illegal dumping that overfills bins creates an eyesore that visualy distracts from the business.
uMore than a few business owners have reported being startled some mornings taking out trash to find there are people — homeless individuals — who are sleeping in them.
There is also the issue of safety. At least twice during the past 12 years solid waste crews have found individuals — the homeless — in bins as they go to dump them. In one incident that happened behind Mike Morowit’s store at Lincoln Center a few years back before he was elected to the council — a homeless individual actually got dumped into the back of a solid waste truck requiring the fire department to respond.
In the past, the city has argued keys are too cumbersome as it would require drivers to unlock the bins before dumping them.

Zellner answering
questions during
coffee on Friday
Manteca City Council candidate Jeff Zellner is making himself available to answer questions this Friday morning at Tony & Mrs. K’s at Yosemite and Cottage avenues.
He’ll be there Friday from 7 to 9 a.m.

Applicants sought
for planning, rec
& senior boards
There could be at least two new faces on the Manteca Planning Commission in December.
The Manteca City Council Tuesday authorized advertising for two positions as the four-year terms of Gary Singh and Eric Hayes expire next month.
Both Singh and Hayes are among six candidates seeking election to two City Council seats in the Nov. 8 election. There is also a third planning commissioner running — Jeff Zellner. If two of the three are elected it guarantees two new planning commission faces.
The terms of three Parks and Recreation Commission members expire in December as well. The terms of commissioner David Breitenbucher and alternate member Parminder Singh Sahi expire as does the Manteca Unified School District board appointed commission member.
Three members and two alternates on the Senior Advisory Committee will see their terms expire. They are members Adeline Micheletti, Carolyn Richardson, and Robert Serpa as well as alternates Janet D’Ambrogio and Beverly Villnes. Members must be at least 50 years of age.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com