Clean and Safe City Q&A - Dumping and Blight

Illegal dumping is a major issue in the city. Oakland Public Works' Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful Division (KOCB) gets about 480 illegal dumping requests weekly. The City has areas where dumping quickly returns. Last year, it cleared over 10,000 tons of waste from 40,000 sites. 

Most issues are fixed within days. However, some take longer if they're on private property, involve hazardous waste, or are linked to homeless encampments. Removing encampment-related materials follows strict rules, the protocol for its removal is governed by guidelines that adhere to numerous legal requirements and City Council adopted policies. The city also acknowledges the challenges of the current homeless encampment crisis. To support management of the debris from these encampments, KOCB provides trash service weekly or bi-weekly at approximately 65 encampment locations. Other encampments are cleaned and/or closed on a schedule available at https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/homeless-encampment-cleanup-schedule.   

The City  is boosting efforts against illegal dumping. Six Environmental Enforcement Officers investigate and issue over 600 citations yearly. They also monitor 29 hot spots with cameras. Recently, 15 new cameras with license plate technology were added. Officials are exploring tougher penalties and working with other agencies. 

Residents are crucial in keeping streets clean. They can report illegal dumping online, through the Oak 311 app, or by calling 311. For business-related litter, they should also call 311. The City will then ensure the business has enough garbage service as required by law. 

For more information on the steps the City is taking to address illegal dumping, please see the most recent City Council informational report. 

Each year, thousands of Oaklanders volunteer to beautify the city. We encourage you to join these efforts by signing up to "Adopt a Spot." Regularly maintaining a space can help deter illegal dumping. OPW supports volunteers by providing tools, supplies, promotion of their clean-up events, and assistance with debris pickup.

[See answer to question 1] 

The Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful (KOCB) Division has two painter positions that respond to an average of 250 requests per month to remove graffiti in the public right of way. KOCB has two additional positions that are frozen in the current budget. On average those two staff are able to remove approximately 45,000 square feet of graffiti per month. Our Facilities Services Division has additional staff to abate graffiti on City Facilities.

All graffiti should be reported using OAK311. The City's graffiti abatement program is responsible for abatement on public property. Graffiti reported on private property will be referred to Oakland's Building Services to enforce under the Oakland Municipal Code §8.10.200. Graffiti on the property of other agencies will be referred to them for abatement.

D6 and D7 street sweeping services have not been reduced. Street sweeping routes are cleaned on their assigned days, as shown on the accompanying signs. You can find the street sweeping map here: https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/street-sweeping-schedule-map.  

Abandoned vehicles or those used as housing are handled according to specific guidelines. The Department of Transportation's parking enforcement or the City's homelessness program decide how and when these vehicles are removed. Street Sweeper Operators report general conditions to the DOT's Parking Enforcement Division. They also report litter containers and low-hanging trees near the gutter line that may block the sweeper's access.

Station interiors are cleaned multiple times per day. Debris in parking lots is abated within 2-3 days after reporting, and the parking lots are swept weekly. 

Unfortunately, we cannot. The dumpsters would be perceived as a free, legitimate trash service. They would fill up quickly and invite more dumping. When we use dumpsters for volunteer clean up events, we have to pick them up the same day to avoid this outcome.

Staff are investigating partnerships to conduct sting operations. Close coordination between OPW’s Recycling & Environmental Enforcement Program, Keep Oakland Clean and Beautiful Division, and law enforcement (e.g., OPD or Sheriff’s Office) is needed for sting operations to be successful.  

Enforcement staff are also investigating other ways to enlist law enforcement’s assistance to address illegal dumping. Examples include involving OPD and other law enforcement agencies to impound vehicles used in illegal dumping, and make arrests as appropriate, and requesting the sharing of OPD’s surveillance camera footage that captures enforceable illegal dumping. 

From July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, 611 illegal dumping citations were issued. 

Yes. The City’s Code Enforcement Unit of the Department of Planning and Building is responsible for fining owners of blighted properties. 

Oakland Public Works is deploying 15 of its 29 cameras to capture dumping in East Oakland's illegal dumping hot spots. 

No dumping signs are one of many educational tools than can be used to deter dumping. Signage is not always effective and too much signage can itself be considered blight. The City prioritizes targeted education about both penalties and resources for disposing of waste the right way. For example, targeted outreach to businesses that were found to be not-yet-enrolled in garbage service and to residents in high-dumping areas with information about free bulky junk pick-up services. 

The Recycling & Environmental Enforcement Program has stepped up public education and enforcement against businesses without trash service. Recent efforts along International Boulevard have resulted in identifying that approximately 13% of the businesses along International did not have garbage service. Through staff’s efforts, 92% of those businesses signed up for service. The Enforcement Program is working on strategies to expand our public education/enforcement efforts to other parts of the city in collaboration with Waste Management, the City’s exclusive franchisee for trash and compost service. In addition, staff are preparing amendments to the Oakland Municipal Code for City Council consideration to allow the City to subscribe to trash service on behalf of businesses refusing to obtain service and to impose a special assessment on their property tax bill.

In Oakland, every property and business must have trash service, even without a city business license. The Recycling & Environmental Enforcement Program is working with Waste Management to identify multi-family homes and businesses that don’t have trash service. They aim to educate these properties about the requirement and enforce it when necessary.

Responsibility for maintaining Arroyo Viejo Creek in this location falls either to the City of Oakland or to the Oakland Zoo depending on the location. Specific piles of trash in the creek should be reported to oak311@oaklandca.gov - please copy watersheds@oaklandca.gov.  The City will follow up to determine what can be done. 

Please note that the City does not currently have staff or contractor resources available to clean up the trash from the creek in this area. We are looking into how we can fund cleanups and measures designed to prevent future dumping as part of our Fiscal Year 2025-2027 budget process. 

Oakland Public Works installs barriers in some areas, like near creeks or steep slopes. However, not all sites can have barriers due to infrastructure limits. Barriers can also be vandalized, costly to maintain, and can make future cleanups more difficult. To keep these areas clean, staff work quickly to remove debris and use education and enforcement strategies.

You can report illegal dumping and abandoned cars to OAK311. Visit https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/oak311 or call 311 or (510) 615-5566. You can also email oak311@oaklandca.gov or download the app for Apple or Android. 

Most requests for illegal dumping pickup are resolved within a few days. However, some may take longer if the dumping is on private property, involves hazardous materials, or is related to a homeless encampment. If it is related to an encampment, strict guidelines must be followed for removal due to legal requirements and City Council adopted policies. The city also has many dumping hot spots where dumping quickly happens again after our crews have cleaned the area.

The Illegal Dumping Abatement unit has 54 budgeted positions, and all are filled. Many of these roles were filled during the Mayor’s Hiring Blitz, which aimed to quickly staff important positions. 

Six positions were frozen in the latest midcycle budget. To increase staff, we need to find funding for these roles. Although our resources are limited right now, we are looking for ways to help our teams work more efficiently. 

Recently, we upgraded Cityworks, our work order tracking database. This allows more connected Toughbook laptops in the field, which helps reduce the time staff spend on documentation. We are also exploring routing software to improve crew efficiency. 

There are usually few outside resources for maintenance work. However, some business districts in Oakland have created Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). These BIDs use private funding to help with cleaning, litter pickup, graffiti removal, and other maintenance tasks. This supports City services.

A neighborhood can ask to have their street added to the regular street sweeping schedule. They can also request a change in how often it is swept. This petition process can be started on the city’s website at Request to Change a Street Sweeping Schedule. 

The decision process includes checking the area and proposing sign installation. The petition will be accepted, rejected, or an alternative will be suggested. 

Additionally, our Parks and Tree Services Division recently launched a new interactive parks mowing schedule that shows maintenance frequencies and service dates. 

All residential and commercial properties must have compost service unless they have a self-haul permit. When a home signs up for trash service, compost service is included automatically. 

Businesses can apply for a waiver from the Alameda County Waste Management Authority, known as “Stopwaste.” The City works with Stopwaste to make sure everyone follows the rules. This includes public education and enforcement.

The City regularly shares information about illegal dumping prevention. You can find this information on our website, social media, and at community events throughout Oakland. In the past, the City has created campaigns to raise awareness about keeping Oakland clean and beautiful. Just before the pandemic, Oakland Public Works launched the Oaktown PROUD campaign. This campaign highlights the city’s education, enforcement, and cleanup efforts against illegal dumping. You can learn more at Illegal Dumping. Staff are currently updating this campaign to reflect our latest services and programs. We hope to launch the updates soon. Each year, staff work closely with hundreds of community partners on education and cleanup efforts. They also host citywide events with extensive publicity, such as Martin Luther King Day of Service, Earth Day, and Creek to Bay Day.