I agree with Naomi. The trash on our shorelines - in particular MLK Regional Shoreline, where I have helped clean trash - is an eyesore at best, and an enduring environmental hazard. Oakland needs to do better. Our watershed program staff are dedicated, knowledgable, and capable. We have been engaging with them. Please support them by providing adquate funding for them to do their work. Regarding the requested Storm Drain Flusher Truck Acquisition, I support it as long as spending this money does not mean freezing FTEs in Watershed staff. FTEs are more important than new trucks, because as Naomi noted, without operators, (new) equipment won't help.

Dear Councilmembers Kalb, Jenkins, Reid, and Gallo,

I’m not certain that I will make it to your meeting in time on Tuesday. As it happens, I have a prior engagement—picking up trash at the shoreline. I would like to express my support for Item 4 on your agenda, acquiring a storm drain flusher truck for OPW.

I also note that you have other solid-waste-reduction items on your agenda. Thank you for taking steps to address the enormous amounts of trash that disfigure our coasts, streams, parks, the Bay, and our neighborhoods and streets.

A few of us reasonably agile retired persons have been picking up trash regularly along the coast for several years, and while it is a worldwide problem, we fear that Oakland is contributing much more than its share. I would be happy to find a new hobby!

In addition to purchasing new equipment please also ensure that personnel to use it and services to maintain it are included in the OPW budget. Without operators, equipment won’t help. And maintaining expensive equipment is of course the only way to keep it usable and the expense worthwhlle.

(I emailed you photos of some recent shoreline collections)
Thank you again,
Naomi Schiff