BeautifySJ Neighborhood
Blight Reduction Annual Report
August 26, 2025
San José City Council
PRESENTERS
Jon Cicirelli, Director
Olympia Williams, Deputy Director
Paul Pereira,
BeautifySJ
Interim Division Manager
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
—
E
ducation,
E
radication, and
E
nforcement
—
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 26, 2025
San José City Council
PRESENTERS
Jon Cicirelli, Director
Olympia Williams, Deputy Director
Paul Pereira,
BeautifySJ
Interim Division Manager
Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services 1