COMPTON (2UG) – Week after week Compton residents assemble at Compton City Council meetings to voice concern over the lack of response to basic community needs by workers whose responsibility is to upkeep the quality of life throughout the city.
One by one residents spoke during the regular city council meeting held May 16 about the city’s failures to keep the city clean.
Longtime resident James Hayes said, “There is trash, weeds, and blighted buildings all over the city.”
Hayes said he took time to survey the city over the weekend and concluded “the city is a total disaster; it looks like a disaster area.”
Hayes is just one of many residents who do not regularly attend council meetings but have become so fed up with the lack of response from city employees they have started to air their grievances to the council during public comment.
Residents in previous meetings voiced concerns over the employee’s lack of progress in addressing issues reported using the City’s community phone app.
“We are told to report things using the app but as you see, issues are reported but nothing is done except the collection of a list of issues with little to no progress.”
Code violations, trash, potholes, and other issues are continuously reported and for months remain marked as new in the city app.
Councilwoman Lillie Darden asked City Manager Thomas Thomas to use the current vendor who cleans Sucessor Agency properties to work on addressing the medians.
“To hire them to clean the medians is under your check writing authority,” said Darden.
Councilman Jonathan Bowers showed a PowerPoint presentation of photos he took around the city and efforts he made to address graffiti that decorates city signs which he calls a “hazard”.
“As you can see I used a can of acetone to clean the graffiti on the city signs, there are better ways to do this,” said Bowers.
“My Father told me many years ago If the council would just make sure the city was clean and beautiful no one would care about whatever else they are doing because we have a clean beautiful city and I wish you would make that a priority as you consider the budget,” said Hayes.
The city is currently hiring for many positions. You can look for job openings and apply here.
