ANAHEIM : Consultant Rehired to Battle Graffiti

The city has rehired a consultant to provide anti-graffiti and related neighborhood-improvement services that officials say are instrumental in keeping Anaheim safe and clean.

The $46,000 annual contract with Carolyn Griebe & Associates marks the second year the city has hired the firm, which will continue providing graffiti removal and other services. The code-enforcement budget will contribute $36,000 toward the contract and the city’s Planning Department will pay $10,000.

Last year, with a comparable contract, the consultant coordinated programs that were able to save the city an estimated $500,000 in fees that would have been paid to graffiti-removal agencies to rid surfaces of about 800,000 square feet of graffiti.

The city is able to save the money because the consultant enlists volunteers and solicits donations of paint and supplies from local businesses, according to code enforcement staff.

Additionally, the consultant has formed nine Adopt-a-Block groups throughout the city, in which residents work to keep their streets clean and safe.

Further, last year’s efforts included an alley-revitalization program in which an estimated 1.6 million pounds of trash were removed from 8 miles of public alleys in the Citron Street area.

The consultant was also able to help the planning staff in creating informational brochures to help residents and builders in the city understand various city codes and permit procedures.