The first 100 days of Council District 15’s cleaning program has resulted in the removal and discard of 1,570 tons of trash, as well as debris and overgrown vegetation on streets, alleys and public spaces, Councilman Tim McOsker announced Wednesday.
The Clean 15 program was funded in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget and started in mid-July. It comprises two district staffers and is supported by local community groups.
“Having clean streets and sidewalks is critically important to our quality of life in the One-Five,” McOsker said in a statement, noting that the program allows his office to “be more agile in our response to illegal dumping and trash problems.”
He added, “I hope to continue this program for years to come because the difference it’s making is measurable and the work uplifts the well being of each community in the One-Five.”
The district includes the neighborhoods of Watts, Harbor Gateway, Harbor City, Wilmington and San Pedro.
The Clean 15 team has picked up 503 tons of trash in Watts; 182 tons of trash in Harbor Gateway; 77 tons of trash in Harbor City; 694 tons of trash in Wilmington; and 114 tons of trash in San Pedro, officials said.
The largest day of the cleanup happened Sept. 14 when the team picked up 94 tons in Wilmington at Pioneer, Opp and Quay streets, according to McOsker’s office.
“San Pedro residents demanded a reset of a clean streets standard, and Councilmember Tim McOsker listened,” said Mona Sutton, co-founder of Caring Proactive Residents in San Pedro. “I couldn’t be more thrilled with the creation of the `Clean 15′ gorilla-style, proactive street clean up team,” she added.
After a cleanup, the team takes the debris to the sanitation yard to be weighed for tonnage and properly disposed. In addition to this work, McOsker said he is planning to examine legislative and enforcement fixes to combat illegal dumping in the hardest-hit communities.