FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New State Route Beautification Project Launches In Porterville
/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 15, 2023
NEW STATE ROUTE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT LAUNCHES IN PORTERVILLE
On Monday, February 6, 2023, the City of Porterville began its Litter Abatement Pilot Project, in collaboration and partnership with the Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG), California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) and Community Services Employment Training (CSET). The Project will employ individuals experiencing homelessness to conduct beautification activities along State Route 65 and State Route 190 within the city limits, including off ramps and other transportation public right of ways near the State Routes where litter accumulates. The increased litter abatement will accompany planned landscaping projects along the State Routes.
The Project has been approved for three years to increase cleanup efforts to improve the scenic and unique ecological characteristics of the city. At its meeting on August 2, 2022, the Porterville City Council approved the appropriation of $50,000 of local Measure I funds annually, approved a draft Agreement with CSET to operate the Project, approved a draft Delegated Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans and the appropriation of $110,000 in State funding, and the utilization of $145,000 of TCAG Measure R funds to support the Project.
The Project includes one CSET crew (through the Sequoia Community Corps) completing two cleaning cycles per month along the designated State Routes. Employment referrals for this Project are received from agencies such as Turning Point of Central California and Central California Family Crisis Center, who provide individuals experiencing homelessness with case management support and assistance with finding permanent housing.
This income earning opportunity increases the ability to obtain and retain permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. The beautification project also provides participants an opportunity to learn new life skills while giving back to and improving the community.
To learn more about CSET’s Sequoia Community Corps you may call (559) 732-4194, or visit: https://www.cset.org/sequoia-community-corps.
CSET hosted The City of Porterville and Caltrans to kick-off the partnership
CSET, Caltrans, Sequoia Community Corps, and The Porterville Welcome Center staff
The Sequoia Community Corps crew working along State Route 65
Sequoia Community Corps working along an off ramp
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Porterville, lying along the foothills of the picturesque Sierra Nevada mountain range, is located on State Route 65, 165 miles north of Los Angeles. The city has a strategic central location to major markets and ready access to major transportation routes. Centrally located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Porterville is situated on the eastern edge of California's San Joaquin Valley, just 17 miles off State Route 99, a primary north-south transportation route. The city is approximately an hour from Fresno and Bakersfield and is a bustling city of over 62,000, serving as a trade center to over 100,000 people. Porterville serves as the gateway to the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, and is home to The Mighty 190, a local tourism collaboration that promotes countless outdoor adventures and natural amenities located along State Route 190 in southeastern Tulare County between Porterville and the Trail of 100 Giants. To learn more, please visit www.ci.porterville.ca.us or www.themighty190.com. Questions? Please contact yvelarde@ci.porterville.ca.us.
Community Services Employment Training (CSET) inspires youth, families, and communities to achieve self-reliance through innovative pathways and collaboration. Since 1976, CSET has been the Community Action Agency for Tulare County. For the past 36 years, the Sequoia Community Corps (SCC) has successfully operated in Tulare and Kings Counties, providing more than 4,000 young adults with valuable job training, educational opportunities, leadership, and environmental awareness through community conservation projects. The SCC is among the California statewide network of state-certified community conservation corps addressing critical community needs.
