6b) Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Development of a Potential Homeless Trash Clean-Up Program
(Sponsors: Supervisor Mulheren and Supervisor Williams)
I was the Ukiah High student who brought this program to Ukiah in 2019 through working with Clean River Alliance of the Russian Riverkeeper. First off, it's great to see that this project is being re-considered; CRA founder Chris Brokate and I worked very diligently during our 9 months working together (before I left Ukiah to attend university) to make this project long-lasting, but it's understandable that a project as complex and controversial as this can have difficulty being long-lasting. However, the fact of the matter is (and it was back then too) that this is a needed program if Ukiah is to go the extra mile and do all it can to be part of the fight against climate change. The homeless service providers of Ukiah such as Mcavhn, Building Bridges, Plowshares, Manzanita, and the Calvary Baptist Church, and local groups like the PacOut Green Team and Rotary all were huge helps during 2019 and they would be willing right now to help Ukiah go that extra mile. The numbers in volume of trash that Clean River Alliance has prevented from getting into our watershed is staggering and if the trash service program model was implemented we'd be part of it. We already have great homeless service providers here, so beginning support from the County level and initiating this project now is easier than it ever was. Now is the time.
I was the Ukiah High student who brought this program to Ukiah in 2019 through working with Clean River Alliance of the Russian Riverkeeper. First off, it's great to see that this project is being re-considered; CRA founder Chris Brokate and I worked very diligently during our 9 months working together (before I left Ukiah to attend university) to make this project long-lasting, but it's understandable that a project as complex and controversial as this can have difficulty being long-lasting. However, the fact of the matter is (and it was back then too) that this is a needed program if Ukiah is to go the extra mile and do all it can to be part of the fight against climate change. The homeless service providers of Ukiah such as Mcavhn, Building Bridges, Plowshares, Manzanita, and the Calvary Baptist Church, and local groups like the PacOut Green Team and Rotary all were huge helps during 2019 and they would be willing right now to help Ukiah go that extra mile. The numbers in volume of trash that Clean River Alliance has prevented from getting into our watershed is staggering and if the trash service program model was implemented we'd be part of it. We already have great homeless service providers here, so beginning support from the County level and initiating this project now is easier than it ever was. Now is the time.