January 28, 2025
Public Works
DATE: January 28, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Tawfic Halaby, Deputy Director of Public Works –
Operations & Maintenance
Hugo Mendoza, Public Works Abatement Division
Superintendent
Subject:
December 2024 Abatement Presentation
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Abatement Division requests City Council to receive the December 2024 Abatement Presentation.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation on the December 2024
abatement activities – Public Works Department (Hugo
Mendoza 510-231-3030 / Tawfic Halaby 510-620-5482 /
Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478).
AGENDA
REPORT
January 28, 2025
DISCUSSION:
On a monthly basis, the Director of Public Works has been providing City Council with a presentation highlighting the activities of the City’s Abatement Division. The Abatement Division is responsible for many citywide activities, including picking up illegal dumping, hosting neighborhood dumpster days, and weed abatement.
Dumpster days are provided to Richmond residents on a rotating basis, typically once or twice a year depending on the size of the neighborhood. In preparation for the dumpster day events, Abatement Division staff assists elderly and disabled residents who are unable to transport items to the designated dumpster day location.
When picking up items due to illegal dumping, Abatement Division staff tracks specific items, namely mattresses, paint, oil, and tires for proper disposal, as these items are not placed in landfills. Within the public right-of-way, the Abatement Division staff removes weeds and abates encampments.
On occasion, in conjunction with Code Enforcement staff and Richmond Police Department staff, and with the appropriate signed warrant in hand, Abatement Division staff enters private property to perform abatement functions.
The presentation summarizes Abatement staff activities for the month of December 2024 (Attachment 1). The following are highlights from the report:
Removed 281.48 tons of illegal dumping;
Removed 176 mattresses, 134 gallons of paint/oil, and 109 tires; Erected a fence to prevent illegal dumping and to limit pedestrian railroad crossings;
Abated 13 encampments and removed 35.83 tons of debris; and Removed 188 graffiti tags at 128 locations.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Presentation