CINCINNATI — The city wants to kick its litter problem from the curb.
Cincinnati City Council's Healthy Neighborhoods Committee discussed a report on littering and illegal dumping that was two years in the making. Council member Mark Jeffreys requested it on March 8, 2022.
The amount of time it took to produce the 12-page report speaks to its level of complexity, Jeffreys said. The data was “scattered all over” across multiple departments, he said.
The report shows that criminal prosecutions of public littering have decreased since the pandemic. There were only three civil citations in the last five years.
“That’s hugely enlightening,” Jeffreys said.
Jeffreys said the problem isn’t just an eyesore.
“We’re spending a significant amount of money on this issue, about $3 million a year, which is really substantial,” he said.
That figure includes over $80,000 for tire cleanup around the city last year. Assistant City Manager Billy Weber told the committee the city cleaned up over 18,000 abandoned tires last year.
A WCPO analysis of 311 complaints regarding littering and illegal dumping shows that Westwood, West Price Hill and East Price Hill account for more than 27% of all the city's litter/dumping service requests since 2020.
“We really need some new tools in the toolbox,” Jeffreys said. “We, of course, are fining people today, which needs to remain an option. But we also want to make sure that we give the option of warnings as well.”
The report recommends adjusting the most frequently utilized municipal code violations (Owner to Maintain Premises Free of Litter and Abandoned Property on Streets or Sidewalks) to allow for a warning.
This would allow for “lower stakes engagement with violators” and preserve “enforcement resources for more egregious offenses,” the recommendation states. Weber told council members that a warning would require more resources, as it would require city staff to revisit properties.
Another recommendation was to “engage the public in identifying violations and violators,” even “exploring ways to provide rewards to individuals that submit information that led to collection of civil fines or criminal convictions.”
Jeffreys said that’s a challenge, and he would want to understand and benchmark what has been successful in other cities.
No action was directly taken at Tuesday’s committee meeting.
Jeffreys acknowledged the city has bigger issues to tackle, but spoke about addressing litter as a “quality of life issue.”
“It’s how we view ourselves and respect that we have for our own neighborhood,” he said. “(People) want to be in a city where there’s some pride, making sure we’re safe, that it’s clean and our green spaces are protected.”
Cameron Keesee takes pride in making sure the Lick Run Greenway is clean. No matter the elements, he walks it daily on behalf of the city, picking up trash with a pick stick.
An average day yields nine to 10 garbage bags of trash, he said: “It’s been getting kind of bad lately.”
“People … come down here to walk because it’s a nice place to walk,” said Keesee. “I get a lot of compliments so it makes me take pride in it a whole lot more.”
