Last year, Modesto residents lodged 10,777 complaints through the city’s reporting app — about one for every 21 residents.
A majority of the grievances were about trash and garbage left on streets or alleys, followed by reports of abandoned vehicles.
Allison Van Guilder, the city’s deputy city manager, said she’s not surprised. A 2019 citywide community engagement survey found that blight was one of the most pressing issues for residents. Blight can include abandoned shopping carts, bulk items and graffiti.
That year, the city developed a blight abatement strategy that outlines collaboration among various departments, including the police and private organizations, to limit blight and beautify neighborhoods…