Public services director highlights litter removal, Cliff Walk staffing and municipal compost pilot

Bill Riccchio, director of public services, outlined operational priorities in parks, solid waste and streets: a requested parks/forestry labor position for Cliff Walk maintenance, continued reliance on contracted solid-waste services, and investments in fleet and facility equipment.

Riccchio reported the department collected more than 13,000 pounds of litter ("we collected over 13,000 pounds of litter"), noted heavy season demands on street receptacles, and said recent changes to receptacle design reduced overflows in high-use areas. He also described a municipal composting pilot in partnership with a private operator intended to test curbside food-waste collection and reduce tipping fees; administration said the pilot could return data in one to two years to inform a possible curbside composting program.

Councilors asked about enforcement of storefront cleanliness and whether the city has done public-awareness campaigns; Riccchio said past litter-campaign grants were successful and suggested revisiting such outreach. Councilors and staff discussed where responsibility lies for decorative streetlights and operational responses to overflowing bins during peak season.