LONG BEACH, CA – The City of Long Beach, Calif. is considering outsourcing its street sweeping services. The City's Budget Oversight Committee approved a recommendation for the City Council to investigate outsourcing that the Council will vote on at the March 22 meeting.

At the March 4 City Council meeting, City Council member Gary DeLong cited a number of other California cities, Newport Beach, Glendora, Pomona, Lakewood, Bellflower, Downey, and Carson  have seen cost reductions from outsourcing, according to DeLong’s written proposal.

Although he said these Cities have seen savings, he noted that although the City’s street sweeping services expenditures in fiscal year 2011 are $3.05 million, revenues were $3.27 million, generated from parking enforcement operations.

The Machinist Union lodge spoke out against outsourcing, citing the positive revenue, the fact that the employees who would lose their jobs are City residents, and that it would fight this if the recommendation to outsource goes through. A street sweeper operator noted that its vehicles are environmentally friendly (they use liquid petroleum gas fuel).

By Greg Basich