City of Salinas making improvements to beautify the area

If you’ve noticed trash and other cosmetic issues in the Salinas area, you’re not alone. But residents and city officials are trying to change that.

According to data from the city of Salinas, there were fewer than 770 open and closed code enforcement cases in the fiscal year that ended in 2015.

And up until this past April, there were more than 1300 open and 1500 closed cases.

Blight can happen anywhere.

“With the economic downtown we’ve had significant issues in north Salinas,” says Kimbley Craig. “Primarily blighted issues, homes that have gone into foreclosure that are bank-owned, and frankly just a kind of shift in dynamic with neighborhoods. So it’s really about taking personal accountability for your environment and your space and this gives you an opportunity to sort of make your environment look a little nice, a little better and I’m sure the neighbors would appreciate that.”

Ahead of Saturday’s events, volunteers with LDS family services did a little cleanup at the park. The group of Mormons were in town for training and decided to spend some time helping out.

They picked up litter and painted a building.

“We’ve cleared up some of the bark on the playground. And just kind of improving everything and getting it to look a little nicer,” said Regional Manager of LDS Family Services Brian Donovan.

KION’s Mariana Hicks will have more at 6.