Oakland Public Works Cannot Get it Right

In February 2009, We Fight Blight noted a large amount of debris, furniture and household items on the sidewalk along the cul-de-sac at 656-665 53rd Street. This was immediately reported to Oakland Public Works with a request to remove the illegally placed or disposed debris, furniture and household items.

Upon returning to the location on March 7, 2009, we noted that most of the "stuff" was still on the sidewalk and again reported the problem to Public Works hopeful the removal would occur expeditiously. As of May 9, 2009, most of the "stuff" was still on the sidewalk, though it appeared that some items had been removed and some replaced with additional "stuff".

We Fight Blight again reported the problem to Public Works on June 17, 2009. On July 21, 2009 and November 4, 2009, We Fight Blight conducted field inspections which to our disbelief continued to reveal that Public Works had not removed the "stuff".

After conducting additional field inspections on December 6, 2009 and May 6, 2010 we found the"stuff" had yet to be removed. This despite mutiple written complaints, requests and phone calls to Public Works.

We Fight Blight visited the site again on January 9, 2011 and much to our dismay the "stuff" is still there. Why on earth does it take two years of repeated complaints to the City to have essentially no action and no response. Who's minding the shop?

Again on January 17, 2011, We Fight Blight reported the issue to the Public Works Department. The report number is 357686. Perhaps the Acting Public Works Director, Brooke Levin, can help us out here?

The Neverending Garbage

You've got to love Oakland. It is the place that people love to trash...literally. Just take a look around at the streets of Oakland. What do you see? Neverending garbage...literally. Cans, liquor bottles, cigarette boxes, bags of fast food leftovers, condoms, candy wrappers, drug packages, and buckets of human waste. Yes, even human waste. Who dumps all of that stuff--Oaklanders. Young and old, black and white, male and female, renters and property owners--we are all responsible. Oakland provides an equal opportunity for anyone to dump their shit on someone else's doorstep and or in someone else's neighborhood or for some their own doorstep and neighborhood. There is a street corner at Shattuck and 65th that has become a dumping spot for any number of neighborhood slobs and the occasional transient parking and camping. Household garbage, old bookshelves, fast food, liquor bottles, chairs, oil containers and other odds and ends and miscellaneous crap have mysteriously appeared under the cover of darkness. Over the last several years, we have noticed that this location is favored by lazy slobs who can't seem to locate the publicly accessible garbage cans on the corner of Shattuck and Alcatraz to dump their trash.

About 2-1/2 weeks ago another culprit struck dumping household garbage, some dirty pillows, empty milk cartons, and some bags of leftover fast food. We Fight Blight phoned in the illegal dumping to the City of Oakland at 510-434-5101. We were told the City would pick up the garbage within several days. After a week passed, we phoned in again. The City assured us the garbage would be picked up within several days. During this time, cars began to drive over and park on top of the garbage, ignoring the bags of trash and debris. Perhaps the City of Oakland staff were either on furlough due to budget cuts or were in Alaska at an Eskimo Yo Yo making class. No one from the City bothered to pick up the illegally dumped garbage that had been stewing for two weeks. The garbage sat and sat and sat. Surely, We Fight Blight were not the only ones in North Oakland that witnessed this pile of trash sitting for several weeks. Tempted to pick up the garbage, we waited because we wanted to see how long it would take for someone else to step up and clean up the trash. Yet, no one did. The trash festered and stewed. Seemingly oblivious to this pile of trash, people drove by day after day and did nothing. The City did nothing. I wondered whether the City staff were just simply incompetent or lazy. I wondered whether the residents of North Oakland were too busy to care about their neighborhood, apathetic or just blind to the piles of garbage. Frustrated, we donned rubber gloves, collected the trash and deposited it in the City garbage cans at Shattuck and Alcatraz.

No wonder Oakland looks like a big garbage heap. People indiscriminately toss their garbage and illegally dump their trash everywhere. Neither the City nor residents seem to care enough to clean it up. More importantly, there seems to be a certain degree of acceptance that this behavior is okay. When will Oakland have enough respect for itself to stop this neverending garbage?

Proposed Mural for 55th Street Underpass

This is the proposed mural for the 55th Street overpass in North Oakland. The mural is being coordinated through Councilwoman Jane Brunner's Office. If you are interested in providing comments on the proposed artwork, please contact Geoffrey Johnson by October 23, 2008 at:

Geoffrey S. Johnson
Constituent Services & Legislative Aid
Councilmember Jane Brunner, District 1
Oakland City Council
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor
Oakland, CA. 94612
(510) 238-7001 or (510) 238-7062
Fax: (510) 238-6910
E:gsjohnson@oaklandnet.com

The mural is an important first step in reclaiming the Caltrans underpass. The underpass is reportedly used for illegal dumping, drug dealing, prostitution, homeless squatters and other sundry activities. Creating a more inviting pedestrian oriented space with artwork may encourage members of the community to treat the underpass with greater respect.

Oakland's Neighborhood Law Corps

Problem Liquor Store

We recently got a rather slick brochure from Oakland's Neighborhood Law Corps with City Attorney John Russo and Staff looking rather imposing on the front cover. The brochure was sent out to educate the community about the Neighborhood Law Corps which is intended to take on slumlords, shut down problem liquor stores and help make neighborhoods safer.

The Neighborhood Law Corps is an innovative program that bases lawyers and resources in our toughest communities to solve difficult neighborhood problems. Inspired by the Peace Corps, Oakland City Attorney John Russo created the Law Corps in 2002 to put lawyers out in the streets to work in collaboration with residents, neighborhood groups and merchant organizations to improve the quality of life in our community. This is the first program of its kind in the nation.

The Neighborhood Law Corps asks residents to identify and prioritize problems and concerns. Attorneys canvas neighborhoods, conduct town hall meetings, and attend living room gatherings. The program focuses on educating residents about their rights and how to navigate government bureaucracy.


Berkeley Police Making a Stop in Oakland

The Law Corps was created because too many Oakland neighborhoods face public safety, economic and residential social challenges. The overwhelming majority of residents in these neighborhoods are hardworking decent people trying to make a good life for themselves and their families under difficult circumstances. Often, residents who live in these challenged neighborhoods are unaware of their rights under the law. As a consequence, Oakland's more challenged neighborhoods suffer from dangerous and substandard housing, blight, dumping, toxic pollution, and other illegal conditions that provide a crucible for violent crime.



Blighted Commercial Property

The Neighborhood Law Corps improves the community by abating chronic problems such as crack houses, slum housing, problem alcohol outlets and other health and safety issues. If there is a problem with drug dealing, blight, or dangerous housing conditions in your neighborhood, please call John Russo, Oakland City Attorney, at 510-238-3601.

Urban Litter Forum Examines Links to Crime and Economic Development

By Jennifer DeLong

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"Litter and illegally dumped materials attract crime and repel economic development in urban areas" concluded a group of more than 80 attendees at an Urban Litter Forum. They agreed that blighted areas in the nation's cities are more impacted by crime and economic decline.

The Urban Litter Forum, which convened in Hollywood, Florida, January 11-12, was sponsored by the recently established Urban Litter Partnership between The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Keep America Beautiful (KAB). Commissioners, solid waste directors, enforcement officials, educators, and KAB staff, representing more than 20 cities, came together to address the impacts of urban blight and share solutions. This forum, the second of two conducted by the partnership, was designed to exchange information about urban blight and develop best practices for urban litter prevention programs.

On the first day of the forum, attendees participated in two roundtable discussions to explore the impacts of litter and illegal dumping in urban areas. Participants identified several impacts they had observed in their cities, including the following economic and crime-related problems:

* Litter repels economic development, investment, and location of businesses

* Litter decreases property values and increases urban decay

* Decreased tourism in certain communities due to litter and urban blight

* Decline in revenue for littered business districts

* Increasing costs for cleanup programs requires additional financial resources taken from revenues received by businesses, local governments, taxpayers, and property owners

* Related crime activities are more likely to occur in blighted areas (drug deals, prostitution, gang violence, loitering, vandalism, etc.)

* Litter & illegal dumping are often committed by those wanted for more serious crimes

* Littered areas indicate lack of concern and loss of local pride in obeying the law

Participants discussed the need for additional research to measure both the impacts of urban blight and the improvements that are made through prevention and cleanup programs. John Schert, Executive Director of the Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management at the University of Florida, discussed their research program to analyze the economic impacts of blight to businesses and municipalities. He emphasized that both social and economic indicators will be assessed carefully for accurate measurement of the impacts to urban areas. Once the real costs of urban blight and benefits of cleanup are measured, additional resources could be allocated to provide effective solutions for it.

During the two-day discussions, attendees identified components to help prevent litter and illegal dumping and establish cleaner, more livable cities. Participants emphasized that clear lines of responsibility must be established for identification, response, and clean up of litter and illegal dumps. Cooperation among city agencies, the private sector, and residents is helpful in developing a coordinated approach for prevention of urban blight.

Participants pointed out that separate approaches should be developed for litter and illegal dumping, claiming that litter is primarily driven by behavior, while illegal dumping is driven by economic costs of disposal. Education and media campaigns help prevent littering, while strong enforcement programs help decrease the occurrence of illegal dumping in urban areas.

Attendees agreed that a combination of factors contribute to successful urban litter prevention programs. These factors include establishing partnerships, setting up coordinated local sanitation services, garnering stronger enforcement of local ordinances against litter and illegal dumping, educating residents about local programs, providing rewards and incentives, and measuring the effectiveness of programs.

Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Clarena Tolson, Keep Houston Beautiful Executive Director Robin Blut, and West Palm Beach Commissioner Jeff Koons introduced local programs to address urban blight and shared their successes in enhancing livability in their communities.

The Urban Litter Partnership includes supporting partners from the American Plastics Council, Anheuser-Busch Companies, EIA Foundation, Florida Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management, Grocery Manufacturers of America, ITW Hi-Cone, McDonalds' Corporation, National Soft Drink Association, Philip Morris U.S.A., Polystyrene Packaging Council, Procter & Gamble, and Tenneco Packaging. The Urban Litter Partnership plans to unveil its Best Practices Guide to mayors at a National Summit scheduled for late October of this year.

Why are litter and illegal dumps problems?

This is from the National Center for Environmental Decision Making Research in the United Kingdom. http://sunsite.utk.edu/ncedr/guides/litter/introduction.htm

Litter and illegally dumped solid wastes pose risks to human health and the environment. Litter is transported into drains and commonly ends up in area rivers or bodies of water. Illegally dumped wastes attract flies and may leach into the soil and groundwater.

Litter and illegal dumping signal a lack of pride in the neighborhood. Illegal dumps are often symptomatic of a community's larger problems, such as overcrowding or illegal housing. Litter and illegal dumping behaviors pose challenges to decisionmakers tasked with controlling or reducing these intermittent, persistent problems. A nationwide 1996 survey reports that over the last three years, average local litter reductions have decreased and litter is increasing. The annual Photometric Index, which measures the distribution of litter at sites within a community. Keep America Beautiful found that overall 1996 litter reductions were less than 1995 reductions and significantly less than 1994 reductions. Most alarming is that this study was conducted in areas with active litter prevention programs, leading one to question whether nationwide litter is significantly increasing.

Although these problems occur nationwide, there is not a universally applicable, federal law that prohibits private individuals from littering or illegally dumping. The collection and disposal of solid waste is traditionally a function of state and local governments. The state laws each prohibit litter and illegal dumping, but the means taken by each state varies greatly.

Data on the volume of litter and illegally dumped waste is not uniformly documented. However, state budgets typically include funds for litter pick-up on state highways. Florida and Texas spend approximately $3 million each year, Kentucky spends $4.0 million each year, and the state and parish governments of Louisiana expend nearly $10 million each year on litter removal and illegal dump clean-up.

Local governments, the primary implementers and enforcers of both the state and local laws, are directly burdened by and must respond to litter and illegal dump sites. The local public works departments typically budget funds for litter pick-up and illegal dump clean-up. The City of Los Angeles spends over $4 million annually to clean up approximately 121,000 tons of trash at illegal dump sites. The District of Columbia's Department of Public Works spends nearly $1 million each year cleaning up illegal dump sites. The City of Berkeley, California cleans up approximately 160 tons of illegally dumped items each year at a cost to the city's taxpayers of over $100,000. A City of Philadelphia study determined that illegal dumping activities cost the city $5 million dollars annually.

Nationwide taxpayers are unnecessarily spending over $200 million dollars each year to pick up litter and illegally dumped solid waste, which could be properly disposed of and managed in the solid waste management system.

Why do people litter and illegally dump?

Keep America Beautiful, a national litter education and prevention organization has found that people litter for three reasons:

* they lack a sense of ownership,
* they believe that someone picks up their litter, or
* the area is already littered.

Rapid growth, increasing mobility, and improper disposal habits cause the existence, proliferation and accumulation of litter.

Seven typical sources of litter include:

* household trash collection and placement for curbside collection,
* commercial waste dumpsters,
* loading docks,
* building construction and demolition activities,
* vehicles traveling with uncovered loads,
* pedestrians, and
* people in motor vehicles.

Twenty percent of litter is generated by people in motor vehicles and pedestrians. Contrary to what one might think, only about twenty percent of litter is attributable to rural and urban areas.

Illegal dumping is due to the lack of convenient solid waste management services and disposal facilities, the price to use those services and facilities, whether local governments are authorized to require residents to pay for and to use the services and facilities. Multiple factors create variations in illegal dumping incidents. A community or private hauler without a permitted municipal solid waste landfill will gain access to a vacant property and dump on it. In other cases, a private property owner seeks to profit by opening his land for dumping construction debris, old appliances, or tires for a lower fee than the municipal landfill. Private landowners may also seek wastes to be dumped as fill on the property.

Research indicates that socioeconomic factors are not an adequate predictor of illegal dumping. Some individuals will chose to engage in illegal dumping despite the convenience or efficiency of the collection and disposal services. A study of the costs and benefits to illegal dumpers found that, the cost of legal disposal must be decreased and the cost of illegal dumping penalties must be increased to reduce the volume of illegal dumping. Some possible socio-economic conditions that may influence illegal dumping are: type of community; demographics; population density; and the amount of spare, abandoned, or undeveloped space.

Litter and Illegal Dumping

Have you ever noticed that some parts of South Berkeley and North Oakland are awash in litter? Take a really close look at Shattuck Avenue Between Berkeley Bowl and Alcatraz. It is a dump heap. Unfortunately, this is typical of our community. Although many in South Berkeley and North Oakland pride themselves on being environmentally sound and green, they do little to stem the tide of litter and illegal dumping, turning a blind eye. Eventually, much of this garbage makes its way into our streams and creeks and the San Francisco Bay.

Recently, while driving in Montclair, Rockridge, Moraga, Walnut Creek and Mill Valley, I took notice of how clean those neighborhoods/communities are. I was hard pressed to find litter and saw absolutely no illegal dumping. In South Berkeley and North Oakland, I can walk any number of places, anytime of the day or night and see the accumulation of litter and the remains of illegal dumpers.

Recently, one resident reported to me that on the 1900 Block of Harmon/65th Street she picked up three shoppings bags full of litter. This included used condoms, drug bags, cigarettes and cigars, alcohol containers, and fast food wrappers all from the local drug dealers who have taken up residence on the block.

The other day, while waiting at a stop light, I noticed a young African American man in a Cadillac Escalade roll down his window and toss out a piece of garbage. I pulled up and gently said, "Excuse me, I think you dropped something". He looked at me, laughed, and said "No I didn't, I threw it there". It's all about attitude. That is the key.

Due to socio-economic issues, we have a large number of residents who feel alienated and have no sense of ownership of their community. Consequently, they dispose of garbage and litter on the streets and sidewalks as a protest, feeling that it gives them some degree of power, that someone else will have to pick up their trash. Sadly, they don't realize that money spent picking up litter, sweeping the streets, and disposing of illegally dumped refuse could go to job training, childcare, parks, and any other number of services that could help lift people out of poverty and provide opportunities for advancement. The lack of respect for community is really a lack of respect for oneself and a protest against their standing in society.

Besides attitude, some suggest that the City of Oakland and Berkeley do not do enough to pick up litter, clean the streets and remove illegally dumped items. Some even go further and suggest that the lack of city services is due to racist or discriminatory policies--South Berkeley and North Oakland do not get the same level of services as North Berkeley, Rockridge or Claremont. Others suggest that other communities like Moraga, Walnut Creek, and Mill Valley have more more money and can afford more frequent street sweeping and litter control. Yet others suggest that we live in a more dense urban environment and consequently there will simply be a higher voume of litter. Others just choose to close their eyes and pretend it doesn't even exist while they wade through the urban refuse.

Packaging, our disposable culture, lack of education, fast food outlets--there is always something or someone else to blame. But what about personal responsibility? Garbage and litter are the direct result of individuals choosing to throw their trash and garbage on our streets and sidewalk. Perhaps we need to start with respect for self, respect for the community and personal responsibility along with a dose of accountability.

Help our community look clean, choose to pick up some litter and put it in its place, tidy up the sidewalk and gutter, and call the City of Berkeley or Oakland when you see illegal dumping taking place.