Mayor Lee’s Clean Streets and Illegal Dumping Priorities

Mayor Barbara Lee's "Keep the Town Clean" program is Oakland's plan to stop illegal dumping and clean up our neighborhoods. In less than a year, the City has removed over 145 tons of trash near schools and small businesses, and spent over $1 million on new enforcement technology. The City Council unanimously passed two new laws to make the program stronger: one that raises fines for illegal dumping and gives the City new tools to go after offenders, and another that launches aerial technology to spot dumping faster and improve cleanup response times. Mayor Lee is also making sure that the communities hit hardest by illegal dumping — which are often lower-income neighborhoods — get the focused attention and long-term solutions they deserve. 

Mayor Lee is also pushing for change at the state level by supporting SB 1218, a bill that would stop people from renewing their vehicle registration if they have unpaid illegal dumping fines. This would hold repeat offenders accountable across city lines. In Oakland, the City is hiring and training more workers to get a Class B Driver's License so they can operate large cleanup trucks — creating good local jobs while cleaning streets faster. Every Oakland household can schedule a free bulky waste pickup through Waste Management or drop items off at the Davis Street Transfer Station at oaklandrecycles.com/bulky-service.  Residents can report illegal dumping by calling 311. Together, these efforts show Mayor Lee's commitment to making Oakland's streets reflect the pride and dignity of the whole community.