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Board debates volunteer creek cleanups after staff cite safety, shifting response model
Summary
Board members urged more creek cleanup efforts after volunteers raised concerns about trash and needles; staff said growing biohazard and safety risks require trained crews and contracted services rather than general volunteer teams, and that city's Safe and Managed Public Spaces (SAMPS) teams and other city resources are already engaged.
Multiple board members raised concerns about conditions along Boulder Creek and asked why volunteer creek cleanups are being scaled back. Board members described increasing trash, encampments and syringes in riparian parks and urged a stronger city response.
Parks staff and Board members said the department reduced some volunteer-led cleanups in 2024 because of safety concerns such as sharps and other biohazards; staff cited the need for personal protective equipment and training that typical volunteer events do not provide. Scott Schuttenberg said the department's team is trying to create safer volunteer opportunities and has engaged professional contractors such as Servpro for some cleanups rather than relying on volunteers.
Several board members questioned whether the change had been communicated clearly to neighborhood groups; staff said the challenge is not a lack of willingness but an escalation in hazardous conditions that requires trained teams. One board member pushed for citywide attention and asked whether council had been briefed; staff and other board members said the issue is discussed at council and citywide through the Safe and Managed Public Spaces (SAMPS) program and related interdepartmental efforts.
Staff also said enforcement and outreach teams (police limited-commission park rangers and SAMPS teams) work across agencies and that statistical measures show some areas have improved since the city began tracking data, but acknowledged residents continue to perceive conditions as worsening in some locations.
Ending: Board members requested a more detailed update on creek cleanup protocols, volunteer opportunities and interdepartmental coordination; staff agreed to place the item on a future agenda-setting meeting to allow fuller discussion and to return with information on training, PPE requirements and contractor use.
