RSSYakima scrubs out graffiti program
City Council votes to stop painting over tagging; cleanup kit offered insteadYakima Herald-Republic
E-mail
Print
Comments
More 'Local'
- Photo Journal -- Horses
- Body showed no signs of foul play
- Conservancy planning fundraiser
- Four injured in Wapato accident
- Fiesta de Salud is Saturday
- School board OKs raises for some
- Storm causes minor damage
Top Read
- Red Cross' new Valley interim executive director now on the job
- Yakima's Christmas parade warms hearts on a frigid night
- Photo: Quilters for a cause
- Yakima County rates poorly on uninsured children
- County budget: $51.9M ... and cutting
- Zais was right -- police chief has plenty to do here
- Co-op preschools experience an early-learning dilemma
Top Emailed
- Woman dies after rollover on I-82
- FBI studies Gulf cleanup job offers on Yakima Reservation
- Puckett schedules return to Union Gap for Old Town Days
- Ruling limits wildlife officers
- Camp Fire goes out after nearly 100 years
- Zais asks deputy police chief to retire
- Developer confirms Kohl's is coming to Valley Mall
Top Commented
- Teacher found innocent in sex case
- East Valley teen describes sex with teacher
- 07/28/10 Letters to the Editor
- Late-night phone call at issue in teacher-sex case
- Mother of crash victims: 'I need my husband and son here'
- Candidate can't convince baristas to quit
- Teacher on trial says she was trying to help teens
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Somebody tag your house, your garage or your fence, Yakima? From now on, it's your job to clean it up.
The City Council on Tuesday largely killed off a program that painted over graffiti on private property for free, after city officials complained that volunteers could not keep up with the demand.
Instead, the city now will give out a cleanup kit that includes a spray bottle with a pint of chemical remover and a high-pressure nozzle to wash the spray off.
The kit is available for free from the city for one time only. Ordering information is included, but after that you're on your own.
City officials said the change was necessary because too many homeowners felt entitled to the city's offer of help, and volunteers with the paint-out program couldn't keep up.
"I'm so backlogged it's not even funny," Archie Matthews, operations supervisor of Neighborhood Development Services told the council.
The city will continue to focus its paint-out efforts on alleys and public infrastructure, Matthews said.
The vote to amend the city's graffiti codes was 7-0. "We'll see how it goes," Councilwoman Kathy Coffey said, adding, "It's certainly a good start."
Afterward, Matthews said the paint-out program has been fighting a losing battle on its own against graffiti over the past three years.
"If the citizens would get back on board and take some responsibility for their own property, we might get a handle on it," he said.
He could not say how the change would affect a 2005 ordinance that carries a $400 fine for property owners who fail to clean up graffiti.
The city has not enforced the ordinance to date -- as long as property owners let paint-out crews do the work themselves, Matthews said.
In other business Tuesday, the council:
* Placed 11 blocks of the Barge-Chestnut neighborhood on the city's Register of Historic Places.
The designation was the first of its kind for an entire neighborhood and was approved by 78 percent of the 216 homeowners in the neighborhood, situated adjacent to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.
The designation makes homeowners eligible for restoration-related tax benefits while simultaneously imposing a number of property restrictions.
Neighborhood activists want to widen the historic district north to Summitview and from 16th to 40th avenues.
* Delayed approval for installation of a donated piece of public art at the intersection of downtown Front and A streets.
The council wanted the city's Historic Preservation Commission to review the request first.
* Chris Bristol can be reached at 577-7748 or cbristol@yakimaherald.com.
The taxpayers should not foot the bill for graffiti clean up on private property, including these 'free' kits. The city on the other hand should enforce the graffiti ordinance, which they do not currently. I don't give my money to businesses with graffiti on their buildings and fences.
Report ViolationWhat is wrong with prisoners doing the work? I don't think the city has paid much to clean up graffiti. The last two times someone tagged my house, it was the Department of Corrections that came by with trustees to paint it out. Where did that cost anything?
One thing is for sure, until law enforcement can put a stop to these paint jobs they certainly shouldn't be fining anyone for not cleaning the mess up. Many on fixed income can't afford to go out every week to paint out the mess these kids make. It is EXPENSIVE to buy Kilz paint, the only thing without about 3 coats, that will cover it - then you must repaint the color to match the rest of the structure, unless you want to leave it tan or gray. It is a shame to see natural wood, brick, and stone with all that scribbling all over it. No way to fix that - ever.
"If the citizens would get back on board and take some responsibility for their own property, we might get a handle on it," he said.
How about arrest the people doing the graffiti and this won't be a problem, or like Nick says get a group of criminals from the jail to do the clean up.
It sounds like they are treating a symptom, not the problem...
Report ViolationWhile I strongly support the issue of homeowners and citizens stepping up to the bat and do their part to stop the graffiti, I look at what it really cost the city to provide this to the citizens, inmate workers are being used and an officer to watch them then another to drive around and identify it.
This city council needs a reality check and wake up, with all the crime and problems that face Yakima, is this really the best you can do? So what they are not keeping up it does not mean you give up, you keep working at it until you do.
One thing you have done City Council you have just increased the amount graffiti in town and thus will increase the gangs from marking their areas, wow you guys really look out after the community, RIGHT!
I agree with Lobo on this one. Until I read this article I had NO idea the City had a free program for painting over graffiti on "private property".Why would any home owner expect the City to do this for them or furnish them with the supplies for clean up? Who came up with this lame idea in the first place??? Citizens need to take responsibilty for their own property, and loose the whole "I'm entitled" attitude. If you know a senior citizen or someone on a fixed low income that can't afford to do the clean up,then pull together and volunteer with your friends and family to help them out.
Report ViolationWhile I HATE the idea of a property owner being fined for not removing the graffitti (punishing the victim), perhaps if property owners are fined for not removing graffiti on their property, they will be motivated to band together and take back their neighborhoods. Block-watch style programs can go a long way to combat this criminal behavior.
Report ViolationEvery time my windows were bashed out on my car I had to pay for them. Why didn't the city give me a free window? and a free stereo? and a free steering column? and a free sunroof? and free everything else that was damaged or stolen repeatedly? They could have fined me for driving a car with defective safety equipment.
Maybe Redler can direct his disciples in a positive direction. How bout the local churches or other civic groups quit traveling to war torn third world countries and just go downtown to paint over the graffiti in their own town? Yakima has become a third world, war torn city. Sad.
lobo...
If at all possible you might want to consider moving to a different part of town, or at least get a watch dog. Sounds like you live smack dab in the center of a "war torn" neighborhood!YIKES!
Posting Guidelines - Updated Aug. 21 2009
Readers are encouraged to use these forums to discuss issues affecting the
Yakima Valley. Debate the ideas presented in stories and other comments, but
refrain from personal attacks and offensive remarks aimed at others; e.g.,
you may call an idea idiotic, but don't say the person is an idiot. The
Herald-Republic reserves the right to remove any comment for any reason.
Examples include material that is obscene, encourages illegal activity or
stereotypes based on race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and
other factors. Continued violation of these guidelines can lead to
suspension or revocation of your ability to post comments. If you believe a
comment is inappropriate, you can bring it to our attention by clicking the
"report violation" link by each comment. Guidelines revised Aug. 21, 2009.
Registered User?
