City of Columbus Announces New Plans to Address Illegal Dumping
Mayor
Andrew J. Ginther, coordinating with City Council and the City
Attorney, has announced new plans to address illegal dumping throughout the
City. The plans build on enforcement efforts that have already caught illegal
dumpers in the act, as well as helped the Columbus Division of Fire catch a
dangerous arsonist.
“Illegal
dumping continues to be a growing concern in neighborhoods throughout our
City,” said Councilmember Emmanuel V. Remy. “Columbus residents take
great pride in their communities, and I look forward to working with them to
clean up our streets and hold those engaging in this activity accountable.”
As
part of the Comprehensive Neighborhood Safety Strategy, the new plans will use
mapping of 311 complaints to find illegal dumping hot spots. Based on this
information, the Neighborhood Crisis Response and Nuisance Abatement Group will
coordinate multi-departmental responses to illegal dumping, such as lighting
assessments, conversion of 300 gallon to 90 gallon containers, and assessing
other nuisance issues to address. Additional ground crews and new equipment
will assist in alley cleanups at these locations.
“To
build stronger, safer neighborhoods, we are working with residents in our
opportunity neighborhoods to address a key quality of life issue – illegal
dumping,” said Mayor Ginther. “By dedicating resources to prevention,
enforcement and education, we will be able to cut down on crime and revitalize
communities.”
To
compliment prevention efforts, Public Service and Public Safety will invest
$500,000 to expand neighborhood safety cameras into select alleys on a
permanent basis. This expansion will benefit efforts to reduce violent crime
and nuisance crime like illegal dumping, prostitution and drugs.
The
Division of Refuse Collection will increase to 50 the number of trail cameras
that are used by the Solid Waste Inspectors to covertly record areas that are
prone to illegal dumping. Columbus Police will provide light duty officers to
assist in the identification and investigation of illegal dumping recorded on
cameras.
Other
highlights of the new policies include:
- 90-gallon trash cans to replace 300-gallon receptacles
in alleys that are magnets for illegal dumping, as well as changing to
front service where appropriate
- Hot spot mapping through 311 to identify hot spot
locations of illegal dumping
- Prioritize 311 reports of illegal dumping in hot spot
areas
- Solid Waste Inspectors and Code Enforcement Officers to
make sure nuisance materials on private property are properly disposed by
a private hauler
- Regular reports to neighborhood leaders regarding
illegal dumping cases, as well as publicize illegal dumping convictions
- Keep Columbus Beautiful End Littering Initiative to
address littering in a sustainable and coordinated way by focusing on key
stakeholders with specific litter reduction programs
- Annual Cleanup Day in cooperation with neighborhood
organizations, businesses, faith groups and City departments.
- Continue to work with Franklin County Courts to assign
community service hours to clean up alleys
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