REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
December 7, 2017
FROM: THOMAS C. ESQUEDA, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: JERRY L. SCHUBER SR., Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Solid Waste Management Division
SUBJECT
Title
BILL - (For introduction) - Amending Section 10-611 of the Fresno Municipal Code relating to Illegal Dumping within the City of Fresno (Citywide)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of Section 10-611 of the Fresno Municipal Code related to revisions of the Illegal Dumping Ordinance of the City of Fresno.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Illegal dumping within the City of Fresno has been an ongoing problem for every neighborhood. Through the use of technology, the Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) has been able to recognize a sharp increase for the past three fiscal years in calls for service related to illegal dumping. In order to correct the problem and deliver relief to the residents of the City of Fresno the SWMD began working with other departments to develop methods to combat the problem.
The proposed revisions to Section 10-611 will enhance the City’s enforcement abilities by allowing harsher penalties for violations, including fines, vehicle impoundment, and civil actions.
BACKGROUND
Illegal dumping within the City of Fresno region has been an ongoing public nuisance. The addition of the FresGO application for use with hand held devices, smart phones, and through the use of personal computers has allowed the City of Fresno to track areas where illegal dumping has occurred. Since the addition of FresGO, SWMD has been able to track these instances of illegal dumping more precisely. In fiscal year 2016 SWMD received 1,998 calls for service, in fiscal year 2017 the number rose to 3,430 calls for service. In fiscal year 2018 calls for service are projected to reach 5,000 or more. Recognizing that the current delivery model was not sustainable SWMD, working in conjunction with the City Attorney’s Office, Fresno Police Department, Code Enforcement Division, and the City Manager’s Office, developed revisions to the Fresno Municipal Code which would increase violation fines from $500 to $1,000 dollars for a first offense, $1,500 dollars for a second offense, and $3,000 for the third offense. To date, using the current master fee schedule, the Code Enforcement Division has written 175 illegal dumping citations and has collected $31,000. The proposed increase in fines is intended to reduce the violations related to illegal dumping through stricter penalties. The SWMD has supplied the Code Enforcement Division with additional cameras for use in areas where heavy illegal dumping has been identified.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is an ordinance change for the purpose of reducing illegal dumping throughout the City of Fresno. Therefore, this project is not subject to CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not considered because this ordinance does not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract.
FISCAL IMPACT
No measurable fiscal impact can be determined at this time, as it is unknown the level of activity that will result from this ordinance change. The approval of this ordinance does not increase staffing. All funds realized from the levy of fines will be collected by the Code Enforcement Division and will be used to offset the costs of enforcing the ordinance in the Code Enforcement Division.
Attachment:
Ordinance Amending Section 10-611 of the Fresno Municipal Code (Attachment 1)