Vista striving to spruce itself up

By: JENNIFER KABBANY - Staff Writer | Saturday, July 31, 2004 10:29 PM PDT ∞

VISTA ---- It's been more than a year since the City Council gave municipal employees the task of setting up a citywide beautification program.

Since then, officials have taken on that charge with gusto, jump-starting the city's stalled volunteer Environmental Quality Commission and creating an in-house committee called the Community Cleanup and Beautification Program. Made up of representatives from most of the city's departments, the program works to plan projects and help local groups with theirs.

Yet city officials acknowledged recently that their efforts could use help, citing the need for more volunteers and cooperation with businesses. Furthermore, although there has been a lot of discussion and planning about cleanup projects and about a dozen events, there is still a desire to get more people involved, they said.

"It's sort of like building a program ---- you want to get your volunteer base and establish some good events and that is what we are doing," said John Conley, a planner with the city and chairman of the beautification program. "We are also looking to work with nonprofits and other community groups."

"We don't want the city to be the front-runner for everything," Conley said. "We want these groups to go out and get recognition, too, and we can help them out."

Mayor Morris Vance, one of the council's biggest proponents of community cleanups, said the staff and committees "have risen to our expectations and done a great job, but I think the community itself is in need of jumping in. It's a process that is going to take a while, but it's one that we are not going to give up on."

Some residents are glad to hear the city is using volunteers and elbow grease to beautify Vista.

"It's obviously a good thing," said resident Paul Grubaugh. "Anything the city can do in the way of volunteerism to improve our city is great. Obviously, they are having a hard time with their budgeting; they are closing sheriff's substations and they still have the same number of fire stations they had 10 years ago."

Environmental Quality Commission

Early in the day on the first Saturday of each month, members of the city's Environmental Quality Commission dress in work clothes and head to Highway 78. In particular, they zero in on the ramps at either Escondido Avenue, Sycamore Avenue or Mar Vista Drive. The goal is to pick up trash along the ramps, and do they ever.

"It's unbelievable," said Tiffany Conley, the commission's co-chairwoman and John Conley's wife. "Some of the (trash is) literally parts of cars ... bottles of gin, some of them are syringes ---- you've got the gamut out there. It's really sad because you turn around and a week later, it's like you haven't even been there."

In fact, the group finds so many cigarette butts during each trip that they decided to dedicate a special day, Aug. 15, to just clean up discarded butts, said Patrick Johnson, assistant to the city manager and staff representative on the commission.

"We could spend hours, if not days, just cleaning cigarette butts," Johnson said.

The ramp cleanups have taken place the last six months. They are one example of the commission's monthly tasks. Its members have also recently taken up "adopt-a-block" events, in which members concentrate their efforts on one area, planting flowers, painting over graffiti or picking up trash.

While making some headway, the commission could use more citizen involvement, Johnson said.

The response "hasn't been what we anticipated and wanted," he said about businesses joining the adopt-a-block project. "Hopefully, repetitive letters and meetings will bring about more spirit."

Tiffany Conley said that she wishes more residents would get involved.

"There are so many complainers out there and not enough doers," she said. "If you see something out there that bothers you, do something about it ---- lead by example. That is kind of what we are doing."

Rallying others to the cause

And while the Environmental Quality Commission does its part, the city committee is working behind the scenes to help beautification efforts.

Its members helped the environmental group Preserve Calavera with a tree-planting project and provided support for an effort to paint utility boxes throughout the city. It also helped with a litter-removal event along Sycamore Avenue, yet that project could have used more volunteers, John Conley said.

"We tried to get ... some of the local businesses involved, but we just didn't get much support," he said. "We didn't publicize it well. We are kind of learning our lessons as we go along."

More than anything, the city wants businesses to know that it will help cleanup facilities and offer its resources, he said.

Said Johnson: "The offshoot to the program is trying to get the community involved. We'll help provide resources and acknowledgement through the program to get their cleanup started."

During the last year, the committee has built up a database of about 25 volunteers and has created a separate page on the city's Web site to register more. The city also want to do three or four big cleanups a year. The events will be developed over time, and those registered on the city's Web site will be e-mailed the pertinent information.

Johnson said it would be impossible to calculate how much money these efforts have cost in staff time, but said that the commission has spent about $400 in the last year on supplies. John Conley said the city committee has spent less than $1,000 in the last year.

To volunteer for Vista cleanup events, visit the city's Web site at www.ci.vista.ca.us and click on "Volunteer Vista." Or, you may write John Conley at City Hall, 600 Eucalyptus Ave., Vista, CA 92083. Upcoming events include an adopt-a-block litter removal on Sept. 25 and Vistans R.O.C., a major cleanup of a few residential blocks on Oct. 16.

Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (760) 631-6622 or jkabbany@nctimes.com.

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