Mayor Brown Introduces Ordinance to Curb Illegal Dumping

Mayor Brown Introduces Ordinance to Curb Illegal Dumping, Launches Dashboard to Provide Insight on Waste Pick Up

Erin Hut, Director of Communications, City of Spokane, [email protected]

Friday, October 25, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.

The Brown Administration is introducing an ordinance to update city code to align with state law on penalties for illegal dumping. Simultaneously, the Administration has launched a new online dashboard to provide residents with insights into the City of Spokane's efforts to combat illegal dumping and track waste pick up across neighborhoods and downtown.

The dashboard highlights key metrics related to the pounds of garbage picked up by the City's Code Enforcement department in 2023 and so far in 2024. The data includes total pounds picked up by the Homeless Outreach Team as part of response to unauthorized camp sites, total pounds cleared from illegal dump sites, and total pounds cleaned up from nuisance properties.

The dashboard also highlights the number of site-specific responses, which includes complete cleanup and in-progress cleanup month after month.

The data shows more than 1.6 million pounds of garbage were picked up in 2023. As of September, more than 1.2 million pounds have already been picked up so far this year. Code Enforcement teams have also responded to more sites every month this year compared to 2023, with the exception of August. In one month alone, Code Enforcement picked up over 50 tons of waste. Illegal dumping is a growing concern across the City, which is why the Brown Administration is introducing an ordinance to increase the penalty from a civil infraction to a gross misdemeanor.

"We want residents to see the direct impact of their reports and our response," said Director of Code Enforcement Luis Garcia. "The increase in waste collected year-to-date underscores our intensified efforts to keep our neighborhoods and streets cleaned."

"The launch of this dashboard and our efforts to curb illegal dumping reflects the City's broader commitment to cleaner neighborhoods and a cleaner downtown," Mayor Lisa Brown said. "Our Code Enforcement teams work tirelessly to meet these challenges head-on and we appreciate residents utilizing 311 to report illegal dumping. The data we collect helps us refine our strategies and make better decisions moving forward."

The dashboard will be updated on a monthly basis.

Citizens can report illegal dumping online through the City of Spokane's 311 web portal or by dialing 311 (509.755.2489 for those outside city limits).

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