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.