In the News
Trash Down Storm Drain Flows
Straight to Bay
Street Crews Keep Monterey Light, Smooth |
Reducing Traffic Speed Neighborhood Effort
Focus on Trees: Topping, Over Trimming Harmful |
Volunteens Summer Mainstay at the City
About Your Health: Today's Fitness Equals Tomorrow's Good
Health
Trash Down
Storm Drain Flows Straight to the Bay
Put trash, oil, detergents, fertilizers,
pesticides, herbicides and animal waste in their place and keep them out of
Monterey Bay.
Heavy rains left our streets and sidewalks looking pretty good,
after washing all the trash and grime away. Unfortunately, the rain that
cleansed our pavements also carried a lot of “pollution” straight into the
Bay and local waterways via the City’s stormwater drainage system.
Anything left in the gutter, on the sidewalk or in the yard will
ultimately flow down the storm drain into the ocean. Storms, even small
ones, can produce a large amount of runoff that will not be treated. Do your
part and keep trash and pollutants out of our neighborhoods.
See related Feature Article
Streets
Crews Keep Monterey Light, Smooth
 Ensuring that Monterey remains a smooth,
clean and safe community is what it’s all about at the City’s Streets
Division. Charged with maintaining and repairing 107 miles of roadway; 2,700
street lights;
90-plus miles of sewer line; 25 miles of storm drains; and
3,500 street signs, the fruits of the crews’ efforts are seen and felt
everywhere in town.
There are potholes to be filled and street lights to replace. There
are daily street-sweeping schedules to meet and ongoing street striping and
curb painting work to be done. Sewer lines need routine flushing
to prevent
plugging, and storm drains must be kept free of debris to prevent pollutants
from flowing into the Bay.
The Streets crew is also called upon to clean-up after traffic
accidents as well as to perform midnight cleanings of tunnel tiles.
The
City’s Streets Division is everywhere you are.
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Reducing
Traffic Speed Neighborhood Effort
Stop signs aren’t designed to reduce the
speed of cars traveling through City neighborhoods. And traffic lights are
not always the best solution to address safety concerns. That’s why traffic
calming is a community effort that takes time and energy.
The City has been working closely with neighborhood groups to come
up with solutions that will slow down cars and minimize cut through traffic.
Part art, part science, traffic calming involves analysis, education and
evaluation. Answers aren’t always obvious and many alternatives exist.
After many public meetings and collaborative efforts, we have
successfully completed traffic calming plans for eight of our neighborhoods.
Residents are working together to prioritize projects and identify funding
opportunities. Several devices have already been built.
Traffic calming plans include options such as partial medians,
traffic circles, curb extensions and street realignments.
For more info, call the City’s Traffic Engineering Division at
646.3473 or visit
www.monterey.org/publicworks
FOCUS ON
TREES...
Topping, Excessive Trimming Harm Trees, Diminish Value
Warmer weather brings much new greenery to
our urban forest. The increased foliage in turn often leads to large-scale
pruning that can cause irreversible damage or even death to large, mature
trees. The best of intentions can violate tree health as well as the City’s
Tree Ordinance.
Many property owners want to prune large trees to enhance views,
increase sunlight, provide building clearance or boost visual appeal.
Unfortunately, drastic trimming can significantly harm trees and should only
be undertaken after much research and consultation. All pruning should be
performed by a qualified arborist.
Keep in mind that topping trees, the practice of removing the upper
growing portions of the trunk and canopy, is generally not acceptable unless
the top is dead or there are power lines overhead. Tree “topping” is
prohibited and can lead to many problems such as irregular and poorly
attached sprouting branches, insect attack and disease or complete tree
dieback, decline and death.
If trimming is done properly, views can be improved and trees look
good and stay healthy. Excessive trimming can compromise branch structure so
that the tree is physically weakened or visually degraded. This can greatly
detract from the value of the tree and its long-term safety and survival.
In addition, removing the interior or lateral branches and leaving
just the outer canopy is commonly called “lion’s tailing” and is harmful to
a tree’s structural integrity and growth habit. A good rule of thumb is not
to remove more than 25% of the canopy or green branches in any one seasonal
trimming.
While the City does not regulate tree trimming, excessive pruning
or other harmful practices are prohibited by the City’s Tree Ordinance. Help
us keep trees safe, healthy and beautiful by practicing good trimming
techniques.
For more tree-related info, call the Urban Forestry Division at
646.3860 or visit
www.monterey.org/publicworks
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ABOUT YOUR
HEALTH...Today’s Fitness Equals Tomorrow’s Good Health: Age Gracefully
Through Exercise
 When the light turned red, the 82-year-old
woman was still struggling to make it to the other side of the street. She
was ticketed for walking too slow, and the predictable public response was
anger and disbelief. However, walking limitations and stability issues are
all too familiar for many of our older citizens. By taking action now,
community members can maintain balance and strength even during the later
years. Statistics show that daily fitness activities will keep individuals
mobile, more functional and able to maintain a high quality of life. Failure
to exercise and focus on health issues can mean a loss of independence and
societal challenges.
Look to maintain a healthy weight, a nutritious diet and consistent
exercise schedule each and every day. Invest in your future and sustain an
adequate pace for your daily needs.
Regular checkups and daily exercise are important components of good health.
Check out the many activities at the Monterey Sports Center for
family fun and fitness – online at
www.monterey.org/sportscenter
Volunteens
Summer Mainstay at City
More than 50 teens, ages 13 to 16, are
volunteering for various City areas this summer including the Monterey
Sports Center, Monterey Public Library, City Attorney’s Office, Monterey
Harbor and Recreation and Community Services. The new faces are a welcome
addition to our volunteers!
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