HomeMy WebLinkAbout09 STATUS OF STREET SWEEPING ENFORCEMENT DURING COVID-19DocuSign Envelope ID: 95B688E9-C404-4AF4-AB82-F6ECBC9ACEB7
Agenda Item 9
AGENDA REPORT Reviewed: os
City Manager
Finance Director
MEETING DATE: APRIL 6, 2021
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MATTHEW S. WEST, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: STATUS OF STREET SWEEPING ENFORCEMENT DURING COVID-19
SUMMARY:
Discussion regarding street sweeping enforcement during the global COVID-19 pandemic
as requested by the City Council at their March 16, 2021 meeting.
RECOMMENDATION:
Pleasure of the City Council.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None at this time. If the Council elects to suspend enforcement or reduce fines, there would
be a corresponding minor reduction in fine revenue.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
Pause in street sweeaino enforcement due to COVID-19
As part of the City's local emergency proclamation, street sweeping enforcement was
temporarily suspended between March 15, 2020 and September 30, 2020 due to the
State's Stay -at -Home orders and the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Public outreach conducted prior to reinstatement of street sweeping enforcement:
Prior to the reinstatement of street sweeping enforcement, staff conducted a public
outreach campaign to alert the community of the pending change. In an attempt to
minimize confusion, the outreach campaign was primarily conducted during the week prior
to the enforcement reinstatement date. The methods of communication included multiple
postings on both the City's and Tustin Police Department's social media platforms
(Nextdoor, Twitter and Facebook), the City's website and placement of warning flyers on
parked vehicles.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 95B688E9-C404-4AF4-AB82-F6ECBC9ACEB7
STATUS OF STREET SWEEPING ENFORECEMENT DURING COVID-19
April 6, 2021
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Street sweeaina citation statistics:
Data was reviewed to determine the number of street sweeping citations, which involve a
$51 fine, issued prior to the onset of COVID-19 as compared to the same time of year
during COVID-19. Prior to COVID-19, from January 1, 2020 — March 15, 2020, 1,751
citations were issued. For the same time period this year, during COVID-19, 2,451 citations
were issued. The difference is 700 more street sweeping citations have been issued during
COVID-19 compared to the same period last year, before the onset of the global pandemic.
Street Sweeping Citations
2020
2021
Difference
%
January
865
1,072
207
24%
February
638
916
278
44%
March 1-14
248
463
215
87%
Total
1,751
2,451
700
40%
Requirement to perform effective street cleaning:
Enforcement of street sweeping was reinstated due to the need for effective street cleaning
to ensure compliance with urban runoff requirements. Urban runoff water quality
requirements such as "Total Maximum Daily Loads" ("TMDLs") relate to trash/debris
accumulation that can impede flood protection and for vector control/abatement purposes.
More specifically, State Trash provisions were adopted in 2015. The Santa Ana Regional
Water Quality Control Board (SARWQCB) enforces this program in north Orange County.
The City of Tustin's catch basins all have some form of full capture trash Best Management
Practices (BMPs) for collection and/or prevention. The measures are required to protect
our local storm drain system that ties into regional flood control facilities that eventually lead
to the ocean. In Tustin, all urban runoff leads to Peters Canyon Channel and to the Upper
Newport Bay, which is currently listed as an impaired water body, so the SARWQCB
regards the BMP measures as serious.
Tustin's compliance includes cleaning the interior of the basins three times per year and
the exteriors (e.g., street surfaces) weekly as part of routine street sweeping. The City of
Tustin's street sweeping efforts typically remove 900-1100 tons of debris annually.
Standing water is also considered a nuisance because it can lead to vector control issues.
Each year the City is required to submit a report to the SARWQCB as part of our annual
compliance process. In the event of violations, the SARWQCB has authority to issue
Notices of Violation that can carry penalties of up to $10,000/day per violation in extreme
cases.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 95B688E9-C404-4AF4-AB82-F6ECBC9ACEB7
STATUS OF STREET SWEEPING ENFORECEMENT DURING COVID-19
April 6, 2021
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Potential oations to consider include. but are not limited to. the followi
1. Continue current standard enforcement operations
2. Direct staff to conduct additional public outreach and education about
enforcement
3. Suspend enforcement of street sweeping for the duration of the City's local
emergency.
a. Because of the SARWQCB requirements discussed above, Staff does not
recommend this option.
4. Direct staff to return with a resolution or ordinance to reduce the citation fine for
the duration of the City's local emergency