After keeping the Ballard streets clean, safe, and attractive for over a decade, Rudy McCoy, the friendly neighborhood caretaker, is leaving the Ballard Clean Streets Program. McCoy cited lack of funding and rude treatment among the reasons why he is leaving Ballard.
After keeping the Ballard streets clean, safe, and attractive for over a decade, Rudy McCoy, the friendly neighborhood caretaker, is leaving the Ballard Clean Streets Program.
Started by Ballard merchants, the program intended to keep the streets clean, safe, and attractive to encourage foot traffic and draw in business.
McCoy has managed the program for ten years but with a lack of funding and recent harassment issues, McCoy said it's time for him to move on.
"It's time. I have been at Market Street too long," said McCoy. "The revenue just isn't coming in. When I took on this work, businesses in the Ballard Merchants Association paid into the program but over the years, the old businesses have closed and new businesses have not shown interest in being part of the Clean Streets Program."
What was once a paid service has turned into a mostly volunteer position, McCoy added.
"It was a guaranteed income in the past but now I'm looking at other areas to fill that income gap," he said.
McCoy said he is sad to leave the program but mostly he is relieved.
"I'm sick of the treatment and politics," he said.
McCoy has had his fair share of run-ins with drunks and transients over the years but things escalated last October. After being continuously harassed and threatened by local transients, McCoy felt forced to file a restraining order.
"I feared it might get violent," he said. "I'm being called anti-homeless and being blogged about. I don't need this."
McCoy said paying merchants and community members are looking to pass on the program to a local non-profit.
"It has to come from the merchants. They could decide to not keep the program going but that would hurt the whole community, " McCoy said.
The incoming organization or person will be responsible for cleaning the sidewalks, clearing storm drains to prevent flooding, and clearing snow.
"It's year-round work," McCoy said. "The Department of Transport only cleans the streets, not the sidewalks."
McCoy will leave the program on March 31 and focus on his residential yard-work while continuing cleaning the streets of commercial Fremont.
"Three months is a reasonable amount of time to come up with a plan to keep the streets clean," McCoy stated.
