REQUEST FOR DIRECTION
DATE: December 10, 2018 Report No. EPW-18-035
TO: Laurie Hurst, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Jeff Miller, Director of Engineering and Public Works
SUBJECT:
Title
Status of ‘Esquimalt Together Against Graffiti’ (ETAG)
End
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
Should the Township continue to rely on volunteer efforts to deal with graffiti on Public and Private Lands?
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the COTW receive Staff Report EPW-18-035 for information, provide any additional direction to staff as the COTW considers advisable, and directs staff to prepare a report for Council’s consideration.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The Township has been very fortunate in its efforts to control graffiti. Approximately 10 years ago, a group of residents in conjunction with the Township established Esquimalt Together Against Graffiti (ETAG). This group’s focus was assisting private land owners, who had their property tagged by graffiti, in its removal. The group also assisted Township forces on graffiti removal on public lands. As a result, graffiti was controlled to the point where there was little to no graffiti within the Township.
ISSUES:
The ETAG volunteers were composed mainly of individuals who patrolled the Township and removed graffiti. Many ETAG volunteers contributed a significant amount of time and energy to this enterprise. However, as time passed, the amount of work required to keep up to the group’s established high standards took its toll on the volunteers. At this time, ETAG does not have any remaining volunteers.
The Township has increased its graffiti control on the public lands portion to fill in this void. As Parks and Public Works become aware of graffiti, staff is dispatched to remove various tags. The main concern is receiving timely notice of graffiti for its removal. The removal of graffiti as soon as possible has proven to be the best way of preventing additional graffiti in the area.
Graffiti on private lands has been less controlled over the last year without the ETAG volunteers. In the past, ETAG members would approach a business/land owner and gain permission to work on the property to remove the tag. This work was carried out with minimal cost. The Township would supply paint to ETAG at no cost to the business/land owner.
Without the ETAG volunteers, business/land owners have been slow to remove graffiti. They have expressed concern that they have been punished twice. First, by being on the receiving end of a tag, and then by having to pay for the removal of the tag.
In order to deal with graffiti effectively, there are several options available. These are:
1. Maintain Current Service Level
2. Form a Partnership with:
a) Contractor and Land/Business Owners
b) Contractor and Township
Maintain Current Service Level
Under this option, Parks and Public Works staff would establish a direct graffiti reporting contact procedure (i.e. telephone, web-based) that would allow the public to report graffiti in a timely fashion. Township staff would then be assigned to remove the graffiti. The time frames for removal would be dependent on available resources and priorities.
The Township would also put out calls for volunteers for larger one time affairs to deal with graffiti within Township on public lands (i.e. hydro poles). The volunteers would be organized by the Township and supplied with paint and other materials to cover graffiti in a certain location or area. This volunteer call could happen in early 2019.
Graffiti on private lands would be the responsibility of the business/land owner. It would be up to them to remove the graffiti in a timely fashion. If the business/land owner did not deal with the graffiti, the removal would then be dealt with under the Maintenance of Property and Nuisance Regulation Bylaw, 2014, No. 2826. This could result in bylaw charges being laid against private property owners who refuse to cover or remove tags on their property.
Partnerships
Option 2a is for the Township to issue a request for proposal in order to retain a painting contractor. This contractor would then be available to business/land owners for graffiti removal. By using a request to proposal, the Township could establish a set cost for doing work and have someone on-call to assist the business/land owners. The business/land owners would be responsible for 100% of the costs of paying the contractor.
Option 2b is similar to Option 2a with a contractor being selected through a request for proposal procedure. The Township would coordinate with the business/land owners to have a contractor come onto their land to remove the graffiti. In this option, the Township would be responsible for 100% of the cost.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. That the COTW receive Staff Report No. EPW-18-035 for information, provide any additional direction to staff that the COTW considers advisable, and direct staff to prepare a report for Council’s consideration.
2. That the COTW provide alternative direction to staff.
3. That the COTW request further information from staff.