BUENA PARK : Curb Painters to Get List of Helpful Hints
Private contractors who paint house numbers on curbs have drawn the ire of some residents, leading the City Council this week to agree to issue a list of do’s and don’ts for the companies.
“They’re harassing the people out there, and I don’t think it’s necessary,” Councilman Gerald N. Sigler said during debate on the issue.
Typically, the contractors will paint an entire block and then go door to door soliciting “donations” of $4 to $6 for the work, officials said.
Notices are distributed before the painting, and residents who do not want the work done are instructed to tape a note over the curb declining the job.
Most residents pay for the numbers, which help firefighters and paramedics locate homes quickly. But Sigler said some people have told him that the contractors pressured them to buy the service, even if they didn’t want it.
Three contractors hold city curb-painting licenses, which cost $37.50 each, Finance Director Greg Beaubien said. Officials will prepare kits for painters for those companies, he said, clarifying the license requirements.
The city, he said, “recommends that they provide the service in an acceptable manner, with basic courtesy to the customer.”
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