8.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 02/13/2018
- From:
- Maggie Twomey, Volunteer and Event Coordinator
- Department:
- Public Works
Co-Submitter:
Reggie Eccleston, Community Code Compliance Manager
TITLE:
Presentation on City Efforts to Address Litter Accumulation
DESIRED OUTCOME:
This is an informational update; there are not any actions associated with this agenda item.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Challenged by windy conditions, Flagstaff has an ongoing problem with litter accumulation. The City addresses this issue differently on public properties than on private properties. The Sustainability Section’s Community Stewards Program (Community Stewards Program) engages volunteers to clean up litter on public property throughout Flagstaff. The Community Code Compliance Program works to respond to litter-related community complaints and code violations on private properties.
INFORMATION:
Community Stewards Program:
The Community Stewards Program engages Flagstaff residents to become active stewards of the City's public property. City staff manage thousands of volunteers annually to keep Flagstaff’s neighborhoods, trails, and streets litter-free and conducts community and or individual litter clean-ups. Volunteers are comprised of local organizations, businesses, churches, and individuals. One of many events last year was a partnership with NAU Athletics and The Boys and Girls Club to host an MLK Day of Service clean-up of the Brannen Homes neighborhood. Staff supported 85 student-athletes, NAU staff and kids from the Boys and Girls Club to collect over 80 bags of trash and recycling in one day.
The Community Stewards Program hosts formal litter adoption programs, including Adopt-An-Avenue and Adopt-A-FUTS. Adopt-An-Avenue and Adopt-A-FUTS cover 111 miles of “adoptable” avenues and trails. Currently, 186 of the 198 available avenue and trail sections are adopted. These formal programs require the adoptive group to conduct a minimum of three clean-ups per calendar year.
In FY2017, more than 1,500 volunteers gave over 3,100 hours to keep Flagstaff’s neighborhoods, trails, parks, and streets litter-free. They collected nearly 1,000 bags of trash and recycling. To put a dollar value on this work, City staff calculate that the volunteer labor is valued at $43,256.
The Community Stewards Program is comprised of one (1) 20-hour per week position; the other 20 hours are dedicated to managing the 23 annual large-scale volunteer community events hosted by the Sustainability Section. The fiscal 2018 budget is $10,516.
Community Code Compliance Program
The Community Code Compliance Program is tasked with upholding and ensuring that all City Codes are complied with and followed. Staff’s goal is to educate community members and achieve voluntary compliance when a violation of the code does exist. As a result, the Community Code Compliance Program frequently addresses the issue of litter accumulation on private property through outreach to property owners and litter removal using volunteers and Adult Probation work crews.
The Code Compliance staff is comprised of a Manager and two Code Compliance Officers. The Community Code Compliance Program also utilizes volunteers, individuals performing community service work, and the County Adult Probation Work Crew in some capacities. These groups assist the City with litter cleanups and graffiti abatements when needed.
Code Compliance staff’s caseload is established through staff initiated violations as well as through complaints from citizens. The Code Compliance staff has investigated violations that are established under Zoning Code, Public Way and Property, Police Regulations, Health and Sanitation, Business Regulations and Building Regulations. From Jan. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017, Code Compliance staff has investigated 1,862 cases. From that number, approximately 300 cases pertaining to litter.
The Community Stewards Program engages Flagstaff residents to become active stewards of the City's public property. City staff manage thousands of volunteers annually to keep Flagstaff’s neighborhoods, trails, and streets litter-free and conducts community and or individual litter clean-ups. Volunteers are comprised of local organizations, businesses, churches, and individuals. One of many events last year was a partnership with NAU Athletics and The Boys and Girls Club to host an MLK Day of Service clean-up of the Brannen Homes neighborhood. Staff supported 85 student-athletes, NAU staff and kids from the Boys and Girls Club to collect over 80 bags of trash and recycling in one day.
The Community Stewards Program hosts formal litter adoption programs, including Adopt-An-Avenue and Adopt-A-FUTS. Adopt-An-Avenue and Adopt-A-FUTS cover 111 miles of “adoptable” avenues and trails. Currently, 186 of the 198 available avenue and trail sections are adopted. These formal programs require the adoptive group to conduct a minimum of three clean-ups per calendar year.
In FY2017, more than 1,500 volunteers gave over 3,100 hours to keep Flagstaff’s neighborhoods, trails, parks, and streets litter-free. They collected nearly 1,000 bags of trash and recycling. To put a dollar value on this work, City staff calculate that the volunteer labor is valued at $43,256.
The Community Stewards Program is comprised of one (1) 20-hour per week position; the other 20 hours are dedicated to managing the 23 annual large-scale volunteer community events hosted by the Sustainability Section. The fiscal 2018 budget is $10,516.
Community Code Compliance Program
The Community Code Compliance Program is tasked with upholding and ensuring that all City Codes are complied with and followed. Staff’s goal is to educate community members and achieve voluntary compliance when a violation of the code does exist. As a result, the Community Code Compliance Program frequently addresses the issue of litter accumulation on private property through outreach to property owners and litter removal using volunteers and Adult Probation work crews.
The Code Compliance staff is comprised of a Manager and two Code Compliance Officers. The Community Code Compliance Program also utilizes volunteers, individuals performing community service work, and the County Adult Probation Work Crew in some capacities. These groups assist the City with litter cleanups and graffiti abatements when needed.
Code Compliance staff’s caseload is established through staff initiated violations as well as through complaints from citizens. The Code Compliance staff has investigated violations that are established under Zoning Code, Public Way and Property, Police Regulations, Health and Sanitation, Business Regulations and Building Regulations. From Jan. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017, Code Compliance staff has investigated 1,862 cases. From that number, approximately 300 cases pertaining to litter.