Oakland Hosts 'Bulky Block Parties' To Discourage Illegal Dumping
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) – Several big block party are being planned in the East Bay for the coming weeks and the only thing residents are required to bring is their big trash items.
Mayor Libby Schaaf on Thursday announced the unusual effort to clean up the streets of Oakland.
She hopes the three "Bulky Block Parties" that will give people a chance to drop off bulky trash items will stop people who might otherwise choose to trash Oakland.
Illegal dumping has long been an unsightly problem in East and West Oakland. Piles of everything from mattresses to old tires can be seen left along the streets.
One brazen act of illegal dumping was captured on video by a home security system in June when a truck left a pile of construction debris on East 17th street.
"The amount of illegal dumping that takes place on our streets and in our neighborhoods is absolutely ridiculous," said Oakland City Councilman Larry Reid.
Requests to pick up trash piles in Oakland have nearly doubled over the past decade.
The city is now placing high-resolution cameras in dumping hot spots, buying more trucks to respond to complaints and hiring a 12-person litter enforcement team that will be on the streets this fall.
"If you dump in Oakland, we will be watching. We will be taking action and we will be ensuring that our public has clean streets," said Jason Mitchell with the Oakland Department of Public Works.
On Thursday, the mayor announced three public events called "Bulky Block Parties" to call attention to a service that already exists. Currently, all Oakland residents can call waste management to have bulky waste picked up on their own curbside.
Schaaf called the parties an experiment.
"We're going to have food trucks. We're going to have music," said Schaaf. "We know that there are going to be lines. And we want to be clear: this is for Oakland residents only."
Another incentive to stop dumping in Oakland. If a resident reports someone for illegal dumping, they can get part of the fine if the culprit is caught. All residents have to do is call 311 to make the report.
The three bulky block parties where Oakland residents can drop off their big trash items for free are set for the following dates:
- August 25th on Edgewater Drive
- September 15th on Victory Court
- September 29th on Engineer Road at Wake Avenue
Each event will run from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
