New grafitti plan could be fatal to Los Padrinos Youth Services, director says
The City Council is scheduled to consider today whether to create a new anti-graffiti team.
The city currrently contracts with Los Padrinos Youth Services for graffiti removal. Los Padrinos employs youths serving community service time to clean up vandalism.
The plan under consideration would have the city create a five person team within the Public Services Department to clean up tags.
The plan would cost $679,000 for the first six months of 2009. The city currently spends $588,000 annually on its contract with Los Padrinos.
Los Padrinos director Max Alonso has proposed to city officials that increasing the value of his organization's contract to $755,000 per year would enable Los Padrinos to enhance its services and make up for increased operational costs.
However, city officials are now poised to make graffiti removal an in-house operation. City Hall staffers are prepared to offer Los Padrinos a $125,000 contract for weed removal, but Alonso said that's not enough to keep Los Padrinos alive.
"December 31, we've got to close our doors and go out of business," Alonso said.
The City Council is scheduled to consider today whether to create a new anti-graffiti team.
The city currrently contracts with Los Padrinos Youth Services for graffiti removal. Los Padrinos employs youths serving community service time to clean up vandalism.
The plan under consideration would have the city create a five person team within the Public Services Department to clean up tags.
The plan would cost $679,000 for the first six months of 2009. The city currently spends $588,000 annually on its contract with Los Padrinos.
Los Padrinos director Max Alonso has proposed to city officials that increasing the value of his organization's contract to $755,000 per year would enable Los Padrinos to enhance its services and make up for increased operational costs.
However, city officials are now poised to make graffiti removal an in-house operation. City Hall staffers are prepared to offer Los Padrinos a $125,000 contract for weed removal, but Alonso said that's not enough to keep Los Padrinos alive.
"December 31, we've got to close our doors and go out of business," Alonso said.
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
If this group cannot perform the required task and the city can do it at a lower cost, then this is a no brainer and the city should do it.
This group should seek funds elsewhere. And I really doubt that cleaning up graffiti or pulling weeds will make anyone really think about not committing crimes.
Los Padrinos were very good to me, I would call in grafitti almost on an every other day notice for my property, yes I am in the bad part of San Bernardino next to a High School. It is sad that they could not come to an agreement with Los Padrinos.
But you know what costs have increased to operate, So I am sure it the request for an increase in funding was appropriate. The cost of paint and supplies is not cheap, and besides people need to understand Los Padrinos is a non-profit organization.
Government is rarely a substitute, No doubt the city service will end up costing more to the tax payer vs. the proposed increase from Los Padrinos.
1Govegan... the City isn't going to do it cheaper, they are going to cost $679,000 for the first six months, and probably the same for the other 6 months of the year. That totals $1,358,000 for a year while Los Padrinos is asking for $755,000 a year. Also the group isn't trying to make someone "think about not committing crimes", the group orchestrates community service.