Merchants to Help City Pay for Graffiti Cleanups

Officials have approved an anti-graffiti ordinance that places some of the burden for removing graffiti on the owners of vandalized commercial properties.

The ordinance requires property owners to pay for graffiti removal after four free cleanups by the city. The fees may be waived for businesses that can demonstrate they are trying to solve the problem.

The regulations, approved Tuesday by the City Council, are a slightly watered-down version of a plan that some property owners had called unfair.

“I think businesses will be happy,” Mayor Bob Henderson said. “All we’re asking is, if you keep getting hit, work with the city to try and find a way to prevent it in the future.

“The owners are as concerned as we are about stopping the graffiti.”

The council approved the ordinance 4 to 0. Councilwoman Helen McKenna-Rahder, who supported the ordinance, missed the meeting to attend the Inauguration in Washington.

The ordinance provides that after the city removes graffiti for the fourth time without charge, property owners must either remove the scrawls or reimburse the city for the work. If a property changes hands, the new owners will also receive four free cleanups. Property owners have three days to take care of the problem after notification from the city.

The city will charge $30 for graffiti removal that takes 15 to 20 minutes, $100 for jobs that take 20 minutes to an hour and $130 for removal lasting more than an hour.

“We just pass on the cost,” Henderson said. Under the old system, “we’re paying 100% and taking care of the problem for everybody.”

Unpaid bills for graffiti removal will accumulate until near the end of the fiscal year. Then, the City Council will hold a hearing during which property owners may appeal the fee. If the appeal is denied, the charges are added to subsequent property tax bills.

But the director of public works also has the authority to waive fees for property owners making a sincere effort to combat the problem.

These efforts could include planting vines to cover bare walls, installing grassy berms instead of block walls, applying graffiti-resistant wall coverings, and improving lighting and security in frequently targeted areas.

“We want people to try to think of ways to help us prevent future damage,” Henderson said. “Like a bare wall against an empty alley--it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to say that maybe we need to plant something there instead of painting it 10 times a year.”

Revisions to the ordinance made it less strict than the original proposal. The earlier version would have allowed only two free cleanups and would have imposed higher fees each time the city removed graffiti from commercial property.

Most merchants interviewed were happy with the revisions.

“We were pleased with the watered-down version,” said Bruce Martin, executive manager of the Whittier Chamber of Commerce. “We had a lot of concerns with the first plan.”

The city spends about $90,000 a year to remove graffiti. In tight budget times, the city can no longer assume the entire financial burden, council members said.

“Every time we go out, it is the taxpayers who are paying for the service,” McKenna-Rahder said Monday. “And if the business gets hit every weekend, then the price tag gets pretty high.”

The city will continue to remove graffiti from homes and residential areas without charge. The council also decided to offer a $500 reward for information leading to the conviction of a graffiti vandal.