BeautifySJ Neighborhood
Blight Reduction Annual Report
August 14, 2025
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
PRESENTERS
Olympia Williams, Deputy Director
Paul Pereira, BeautifySJ Interim Division Manager
Hilda Morales, Program Manager, BSJ Blight Reduction
Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services 1 • Three E’s Approach to Blight
• Education & Outreach
• Engagement Model
• Blight Eradication Efforts
• Deterrents & Enforcement
• Key Partnerships
AGENDA
2 THREE E’S APPROACH TO BLIGHT
The "Three Es" model—Education, Eradication, and Enforcement—continues to serve as a holistic and most effective framework for addressing the complex issue of illegal dumping. EDUCATION
ERADICATION ENFORCEMENT
COMBATING
BLIGHT
3 2024-2025 Highlights • BSJ removed 24.4 million pounds of trash • 14.3 million pounds removed as part of blight reduction efforts • Eradicated 2.5 million square feet of graffiti • 14.73% decrease from the previous year • Launched the Blight Enforcement Working Group
EDUCATION STRATEGY
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
The Environmental Stewardship Program
was piloted at Franklin Elementary,
Washington Elementary, and Katherine
Smith Elementary schools this fiscal year.
• 974 youth were engaged
• 1,139 hours of service provided
4 EDUCATION, MARKETING & OUTREACH
• Multilingual advertising campaign to raise
awareness and promote community engagement
⚬ 25 transit shelter ads
⚬ 50 bus back ads
⚬ 12-week ad run
⚬ Eastridge Mall Blight
Reduction Campaign -
August 2024 – current
5 ERADICATION EFFORTS - GRAFFITI REMOVAL PROGRAM
Fiscal Year Comparison
of Graffiti Removal Program Performance Square Feet (ft²) Graffiti Abatement
• 29,200 work orders completed • 2,553,652 sq ft of graffiti removed • 14.73 % decrease • 442,125 sq ft of gang-related, hate, or offensive graffiti removed • 23.4% decrease from 2023-2024 • 8,570 incidents on private property responded to • 29.35% of graffiti involved private property, compared to 6% in 2023-2024
6 ERADICATION EFFORTS – ILLEGAL DUMPING
Total Sites Cleaned Total Debris Collected (lbs.)
4,550,000 lbs
7,050,000 lbs
9,550,000 lbs
10,576,000 lbs
Sites
Pounds of
Debris Collected
• 28,303 work orders completed
• 10,576,000 lbs. of trash and debris
collected
• 3.2 average service days maintained
• 80% response time goal met
Comparison of Illegal Dumping Program Performance
7 ERADICATION EFFORTS - NEIGHBORHOOD LITTER PROGRAM
• 14,826 residents volunteered
• 20,539 volunteer hours
• 718,865 pounds of litter and debris
removed
• $714,551 in volunteer contribution
Challenge: Schools now require MOU's
prior to litter education engagement with
students, this impacted the number of
presentations and volunteers.
Presentations declined from 74 to 47.
Fiscal Year Comparison
of Neighborhood Litter Volunteer Efforts
# of Volunteers # of Bags # of Hours
8 83
96 152 155
Pounds Collected # of Events
Pounds Collected # of Events
ERADICATION EFFORTS - NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION
Fiscal Year Comparison of Neighborhood Dumpster Day
9 DETERRENTS AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS • Launched a Blight Enforcement Working Group • Funds appropriated in 2025-2026 to support efforts • Illegal Dumping ⚬ 12 cameras to monitor illegal dumping in high-volume
illegal dumping hotspots
⚬ 32% decrease in areas where cameras are installed • Graffiti ⚬ SJPD assisting with enforcement
⚬ 3 taggers arrested
⚬ Clean Gateways Project
⚬ 9 gateways + 2 corridors being maintained 3x week
⚬ Restoration phase with water wise vegetation being added 10 THANK YOU
MAYOR MATT MAHAN
CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE & BUDGET OFFICE
PRNS - PARKS DIVISION
DOT – HEAVY EQUIPMENT TEAM
DOT - VEHICLE ABATEMENT PROGRAM
ESD - WATERSHED PROTECTION TEAM
PBCE – CODE ENFORCEMENT
PW – FLEET TEAM
SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS
CALTRANS
COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA
VALLEY TRANSIT AUTHORITY
GUADALUPE RIVER PARK
CONSERVANCY-SAN JOSE WALLS
SCHOOLS
KEEP COYOTE CREEK BEAUTIFUL
SJ CONSERVATION CORPS
DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM
SOUTHBAY CLEAN CREEKS COALITION
THE TRASH PUNX
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
VOLUNTEERS
VALLEY WATER DISTRICT
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE BSJ TEAM!
11 BeautifySJ Neighborhood
Blight Reduction Annual Report
August 14, 2025
Neighborhood Services and Education Committee
PRESENTERS
Olympia Williams, Deputy Director
Paul Pereira, BeautifySJ Interim Division Manager
Hilda Morales, Program Manager, BSJ Blight Reduction
Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services 12