By Stephanie Rosenblatt
On hot summer weekends, families crowd the shores of the Colorado Lagoon. By the end of the day this well-loved swimming hole looks bedraggled, and some nearby residents have complained about overflowing trashcans.
Trash is actually picked up seven days a week at the lagoon, said Jeffrey King, Park Maintenance Supervisor, and Belmont Heights resident. Azteca, a contractor employed by the City, empties the blue trashcans and the Big Belly compacting trash cans in the park and playground area. City employees empty the black trashcans on the beach.
Azteca’s contract stipulates that the trash must be collected by noon, but King usually sees their employees over by Marine Stadium and the Lagoon in the morning. The City’s workers also get there early. Most days all of the trash should be picked up by 7:00 a.m., King said.
“When there’s a holiday and we’re expecting to be hit bad, I do pay for an additional afternoon crew to come in,” King said. The money for the extra service comes from King’s supplemental budget.
King says that residents can report problems with trash pickup or other maintenance issues at the Lagoon directly to him from 6:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Monday – Friday at (562) 570-1592. If there are problems outside those hours, they can be reported using the After-Hours Maintenance Line at (562) 570-3101.
Residents who want to volunteer at the Colorado Lagoon can contact one of these organizations:
