TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to gather data on Illegal Dumping and draft an Illegal Dumping Action Plan to address the City's approach to resources, education, reporting and enforcement related to illegal dumping. The report should be drafted and returned to City Council within 120 days with subsequent updates on progress annually.
DISCUSSION
Illegal Dumping is the discarding of waste in an improper or illegal manner in public places such as streets, alleys, bikeways, parks, and waterways. Illegally dumped items are unsightly and negatively affect the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Illegal dumping also pollutes the environment and presents a health and safety hazard.
Illegal Dumping is a constant and highly visible problem in the City of Long Beach. Residents report cases of illegally dumped items via the Go Long Beach Mobile app, the Illegal Dumping hotline, as well as by calling their respective Council representatives. Last year, the City processed approximately 18,000 requests for illegally dumped items at an approximate annual cost of $700,000. Currently, an item is logged and processed for pick up in 7-10 work days but can vary based on department workload. Often times, the same area is targeted for illegal dumping multiple times a month, and in worst case scenarios, multiple times a week. In the past 3 years, the number of illegally dumped item collection requests has increased significantly which has had an impact on the City's ability to respond in as timely a manner as possible.
In order for the City of Long Beach to continue to improve how it addresses illegal dumping, it is important to document its current practices. The proposed Illegal Dumping Action Plan will provide a framework for the City of Long Beach to continue reducing incidents of illegal dumping and establish partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, especially in areas that are prone to illegal dumping.
Also, the study would address current barriers to reducing illegal dumping and the development of an outreach plan to Multi-Family dwellings in order to ensure that tenants correctly use the City's special refuse and bulk pick up program. The Illegal Dumping Action Plan would also explore the hiring additional staff who would educate residents on processing unwanted items, promote the bulk pick up program and provide enforcement to ensure consistent reduction of illegal dumping. Additionally, this report could highlight hot spot areas that attract a large amount of illegal dumping, and the potential causes for this activity and detail solutions to highlight the City of Long Beach's commitment to prevention of illegal dumping. These would include, but not be limited to:
• Hiring of a Waste Enforcement Officer or enhance staffing as needed
• Developing an Comprehensive Education Program on Illegal Dumping
• Developing an Outreach Program to Multi-Family Units
• Creating a list of Targeted Hot Spot Areas
• Increasing Signage & Lighting
• Increasing the free bulk pick up requests from the current limit of two times per year.
• Piloting a Video Camera Surveillance Program
• Studying the Fee structure, including punitive damages as it relates to other municipalities.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item will require City staff time to collect data, produce a report, and also evaluate the enhancement of staffing to address this additional role and potentially hire additional staff for outreach/enforcement.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
ROBERTO URANGA
COUNCILMEMBER, SEVENTH DISTRICT
LENA GONZALEZ
COUNCILWOMAN, FIRST DISTRICT
DEE ANDREWS
COUNCILMAN, SIXTH DISTRICT
REX RICHARDSON
VICE MAYOR, NINTH DISTRICT