Pacifica is considering dropping its contract in 2012 with Coastside Scavenger which owes the city up to $450,000 in fees, reports the County Times. Coastside shares ownership and facilities with Seacoast Disposal, which collects trash in the Montara Water and Sanitary District.
According to the city’s calculation, Coastside Scavenger Co. — along with its sister trash hauler, Sea Coast Disposal — owes the city up to $450,000 in monthly franchise fees, late fees and other fees dating back to August 2008. The city has sent a series of letters to Coastside Scavenger’s president and owner, Louis Picardo, in recent weeks with demands including payment of $648,341 in outstanding fees and immediate submittal of audited financial statements from the company, for which two years were overdue. ...
Pacifica residents pay the highest rates for garbage collection in San Mateo County. Coastside Scavenger has raised its rates almost every year since 2000, and the City Council approved another rate increase of 7.8 percent in 2007 (the company had asked for a 12 percent increase). At the time of the audit, many city officials admitted they had approved the rate increases without conducting a thorough financial review. ...
Coastside Scavenger declared a net loss of $325,000 for the fiscal year ending July 2008. It declared $847,249 in franchise fee expenses owed to the city. It has borrowed substantial sums of money from its employees and from its “stockholder,” presumably the company owner, Picardo. And it is waiting for payment of more than $2.5 million by Sea Coast Disposal, with which it shares a recycling yard and maintenance crew. Sea Coast never submits its financials to the city.



Pacifica examines widening part of Hwy 1 to six lanes, Mar 10 6:55pm, Barbara Kossy — I wonder how much of the traffic is due to parents taking kids to school, and picking them up from school. I notice when school is out, it’s a faster drive through Pacifica. Maybe it would be more effective to re-instate the use of school ...
CUSD to finalize cuts Weds, protests planned, Mar 10 4:50pm, Katharine Weber — Well, we all got notified that we are going to be officially laid off and the letter comes Friday. That’s all five Counselors in the district, including Ilene Bragman, who has served Cabrillo Unified since 1974. ...
Pacifica examines widening part of Hwy 1 to six lanes, Mar 10 11:59am, Kathryn Slater Carter — I think TA and Pacifica need to update their assumptions, traffic studies and proposed solutions. I-80, across the Sacramento River bypass between the bay area and Sacramento is 3 lanes in each direction. Unfortunately there was no staff ...
Consultants' plan for Hwy 1 lacks awareness of our environment and community, Mar 8 6:35pm, Carl May — With Sabrina’s examples, which are among the dozens, and possibly hundreds of different ones available, the same old problems for our midcoast remain: All but one of the examples show a suburbanized, scene totally dominated by development and not ...
Coastsiders in support of off-leash dogs, Mar 8 4:45pm, Michael Yolken — Hey Coastsiders, Did you know that there are approximately 77,500,000 dogs in the USA representing 39% of all US households (12-30-2009 Humane Society)? I’m glad to see people taking the time to comment on the always contentious issue of off ...
CUSD to finalize cuts Weds, protests planned, Mar 8 12:07pm, Katharine Weber — I think part of it is that there is a feeling that this community doesn’t really realize how serious the impact of all of these cuts will be. I suspect the parcel tax will fail, everything outside the classroom will disappear (electives, ...
CUSD to finalize cuts Weds, protests planned, Mar 8 11:16am, Barry Parr — It’s not clear to me whether the protesters are demanding different budget cuts, trying to raise the public’s consciousness about the cuts, or feel that the board is partially responsible for the current situation. Or possibly some combination of ...