MorganHillTimes.com | Red phone: Drug take-back program and lights out

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Red phone: Drug take-back program and lights out

Apr 18, 2008
By Morgan Hill Staff

Where can I take my unused drugs?

I read with interest the article in the Morgan Hill Times about the need for a better way to dispose of unused/expired medicines. I am on the board of director's at Woodland Estates in Morgan Hill. We have 285 homes for "older people" (have to be politically correct). I would like to know where in Morgan Hill we can take unused or expired medicines. Thank you for any help you can give.

Dear No Drug Take-Back Program:

Red Phone knows of no pharmacies in town that collect unused pharmaceuticals. Red Phone, however, knows of Leiter's Pharmacy, in San Jose, which has collected more than 700 pounds of unused drugs since it started its take-back program in November, according to pharmacist Robyn Shalinsky of Leiter's Pharmacy, 1700 Park Ave., Ste. 30. To contact the pharmacy, call 292-6772.

Unfortunately the city doesn't have a drug take-back program to prevent these drugs from contaminating our water supply. The city, as others in the county, are waiting for Santa Clara County supervisors to prevent this from continuing to happen. Another good news is that state legislators have passed a law requiring governmental agencies to develop drug take-back programs. The county, under Supervisor Ken Yeager's proposal, will determine how it's going to respond to the law. In March, Yeager asked county officials to conduct a study as to what can be done to prevent antibiotics, mood stabilizers and hormones from ending up in the local drinking water.

According to a recent Associated Press study, more than 40 million Americans swallow traces of prescription drugs when drinking tap water. The medications wind up in the water supply when residents flush them down the toilet or discard excess pills in the trash, where chemicals can leach into the water supply.

No streetlights versus budget

Well, why don't we just attract crime? Seriously this (city considering turning off some residential streetlights to save money) will lead to burglaries, you name it. Great - I want to continue living in Morgan Hill! Things are seriously getting worse than better. Also, turn off some of the lights on Depot Street. I bet the residents don't even need PG&E! Talk about waste there! Remember one Red Phone writer said he needed sunglasses to drive there at night. I say figure out another way to balance the budget shortcut but not on the backs of our safety. I would think Morgan Hill should be getting more money from all the box stores!? Thanks for listening.

And ...

The city should look to turning off the lights at the soccer field which are on when no one is there using the facility all night long and the Aquatics Center, which had its lights on during the day today. How about Depot street, there is no traffic there and yet it is ablaze in light! The city is so intent on spending money for "studies," I think this would be one place where it would be money well spent to find other areas to turn off lights rather than neighborhoods. Or, replacing the bulbs would make more sense. It makes NO sense to take away the safety of pedestrians and others on our streets.

Dear Keep the Lights On:

The city's Streets Operations Budget has been historically funded primarily by gas tax revenues although the new gas tax received in recent years is not adequate to provide even a modest level of street maintenance services, according to Morgan Hill Deputy Director of Public Works Operation Mori Struve.

To make up the gap, approximately $400,000 each year, the city had been drawing from a balance of street fund revenues. In fiscal year 2006-07 the surplus revenue had nearly been exhausted. A reduction of $200,000 in street maintenance services was accomplished in both fiscal year 2006-07 and 2007-08 for a total reduction in street maintenance services of $400,000.

This loss of revenue has resulted in the need for staff to propose a 2008-09 streets operations budget that does not include the following street maintenance services: street tree trimming and replacement planting, some storm drain maintenance, pavement striping, asphalt patching, sidewalk removal and replacement, and median maintenance. What is included is a minimal level of service for roadside weed abatement, temporary sidewalk repair to abate hazards, asphalt pothole repair, emergency tree trimming, and other miscellaneous work on an emergency basis only. However, even to provide this level of service staff had to propose cost savings ideas. One of the ideas being considered is to reduce the amount of street light energy and maintenance services. The cost for this service is the largest of the services remaining in the budget.

Struve said this option, however, is not favored by the Morgan Hill Police Department.

As an alternative to reducing street light energy and maintenance services staff will be proposing several options for producing new revenue for street operations.

At this point no decisions have been made regarding the streets operations budget. Staff will present all Public Works operations budgets to the city manager next week. Staff will receive direction from the city manager before any recommendations are forwarded to City Council.

Morgan Hill Staff
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