BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Homeowners in the Oleander community are fighting to keep their neighborhood clean.
Neighbors say people are rummaging through trash and dropping off large items in their alleyways, and leaving it in disarray.
If let unattended, homeowners can find themselves receiving a violation or fines from Bakersfield Code Enforcement.
Neighbors say that they have done everything to keep it clean, but the problem continues.
Seven-year-old Rubbii and her sister Raimey Segobia have lived in the Oleander area, for their entire lives.
As they are walking home, on Wednesday, the two noticed trash scattered around the neighborhood.
"This is bothering me and this is rude for the environment," said Rubbi Segobia. "We need to fix this."
Raimey says that she and others have noticed an increase in trash and furniture, especially in alleyways and sidewalks.
"To have boards, wires and trash on the ground are just dangerous on top of everything else, it's just not nice to look at," said Raimey Segobia.
The Segobia sisters say it's not always the people who live here, who are creating the mess.
According to neighbors, code enforcement has served several neighbors for violations.
The first violation a household receives is a courtesy, but any violation after that can costs homeowners $149 and up.
People who received violations this week were not able to go camera but gave 23ABC pictures of trash left throughout the neighborhood.
Gregg Warren has lived in the community for 20 years and says this is a neighborhood-wide issue.
Warren shares that the alleys are plagued with excessive traffic, break-ins and individuals rummaging through trash cans.
He also attributes these issues to their close proximity to the freeway.
"We get a lot of homeless traffic," Warren said. "There are a lot of people scrounging through trash and looking for recyclables. They leave their trash and we have people dump in the alleys."
Warren says that during the evening's people leave their trash cans out, and that's when the problem begins.
He says that the alleys were clean Wednesday because it was trash day.
Warren adds that code enforcement has responded multiple times, but believes the area should be kept clean by neighbors.
"We need to understand that homeless, trash, weed conditions those are not police issues," said David Paquette, supervisor for Bakersfield Code Enforcement.
"Those are not just code enforcement issues, they are community issues. We are all working together, but right now there is no long term solutions."
Code enforcement says it is the responsibility of the property owner to maintain all areas from the center of the alleyway up to their property line, or face a fine.
Code enforcement wants to remind the community to not leave trash cans overnight, lock trash containers up and continue to keep the community clean.
