ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: August 26, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: New Business
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Christian Clegg, City Manager
DATE: August 14, 2026
SUBJECT: Contingency Funds for Clean Cities Special Project
[Document Description]
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the approval of contingency funds in the amount of $500,000 for cleanup of a major illegal dumping site in the City.
BACKGROUND:
The City has been engaged in a multi-departmental effort called our Clean City Initiative. The mission of this initiative is to create a clean city throughout our community through programs like neighborhood clean-ups, adopt-a-park and private contracts for litter and debris removal. In addition, we employ a cross-functional Clean City Team, which focuses on hot spot areas of the City that need extra help with significant debris, chronic homeless encampment and addressing major health and safety code violations. The Team consists of our Police Department’s Impact Team, Code Enforcement’s Rapid Response Team, Recreation and Park’s Storm Team/Park Rangers, as well as the Water Department, Public Works Solid Waste and City Manager’s Office to help in collaboration.
The Clean City Team has verified a site of over 50 acres in the Southeast part of the City, located South of Brook Street, East of Hale Street and adjacent to East Planz Avenue that has significant accumulation of debris, illegally dumped materials, and associated public health and safety concerns. This is a chronic illegal dumping site that has a history of Code compliance and has already been cleaned up by the City multiple times in recent years. It has been a challenging location for the private property owner to secure and maintain. At this point the scope and urgency to clean up this property requires City intervention.
A project of this magnitude would expend the majority of annual clean up funds from Solid Waste and Code Enforcement’s budgets. The Clean City Team has engaged a private vendor to assist in the Clean- up. Combining this assistance with funds from Code Enforcement and the additional recommended contingency funds would allow the City enough resources to remove accumulated trash and debris, conduct a thorough cleanup of the property, and coordinate appropriate outreach and enforcement efforts to address individuals experiencing homelessness who are currently occupying the site.
The goal is to restore the property to a clean, safe, and usable condition while connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with available services and resources. The City team is also working with the new Private Property owners, and they will share in the cost of major clean-up.
In addition to the initial cleanup, staff recommend that a portion of the funding be used to secure the site and prevent the conditions from recurring. This may include the installation of physical barriers, fencing, gates, K-rails, Rip Raft (larger rocks or concrete) and other appropriate access-control measures designed to prevent vehicles from entering the property for the purpose of illegal dumping or unauthorized occupation of the Site . The City should also evaluate lighting, signage, surve illance, and periodic enforcement as appropriate. These measures are critical because simply removing the debris without addressing continued unauthorized access and illegal dumping could result in the City facing repeated cleanup costs.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of the $500,000 appropriation from the Capital Improvement Project Contingency set aside by Council in the current fiscal year would provide the City with the resources necessary to address the immediate conditions while establishing a longer-term strategy for maintaining the site. This investment will improve public health and safety, reduce blight, discourage future illegal dumping, and demonstrate the City's commitment to protecting neighborhoods and maintaining clean, safe, and accessible properties. Also, the Property Owners will be leaned based on the amount of the City’s investment in resources into the site.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Safety and Resilience
Reliable Infrastructure
Community Character & Quality of Life
ATTACHMENT: