Austin is considering creating a dedicated cleanup team to manage encampment debris and litter in city parks, following a City Council resolution for improved litter management. The initiative, overseen by Austin Resource Recovery, would require about $1.2 million annually for staffing. Current Parks and Recreation Department crews are overwhelmed with workloads, struggling with illegal dumping and difficult access to wooded areas. This new team would not only enhance cleanliness in parks but also allow existing staff to focus on other maintenance tasks, addressing community concerns effectively.
Creating a dedicated ARR encampment team for park locations will improve response times to encampment cleanups, enhance the overall cleanliness of City parks, and help reduce public concerns related to litter in parks.
PARD staffers assigned to provide supplemental litter and debris cleanup are at capacity and face a backlog of work.
The creation of a special cleanup team would require additional staffing and ongoing operational funds of about $1.2 million per year.
Illegal dumping remains a recurring issue in the parks, emphasizing the need for a dedicated approach to encampment cleanups.
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