Oakland Municipal Code Art. I Findings and Purposes

The City Council finds as follows:

A. The increase in illegal dumping on public and private property creates a condition of blight within the City that can result in the deterioration of property values, and enjoyment of life for persons using adjacent and surrounding properties as well as the entire community.

B. Illegal dumping is disrespectful to Oakland, its citizens and businesses, negatively impacts the business climate in Oakland and promotes a perception that the laws protecting public and private property can be disregarded with impunity.

C. Illegal dumping is inconsistent with the City's goals of maintaining property, preventing crime, and preserving aesthetic standards. Incidents of illegal dumping often spawn more illegal dumping, and create conditions that can lead to more incidents of serious or violent crimes.

D. The remedies and penalties for illegal dumping are currently inadequate to compensate the public and victims of such acts and to discourage illegal dumping.

E. The City Council's purpose and intent, by enacting this Chapter, is to protect public and private property from illegal dumping by increasing remedies for victims of such acts and penalties for those performing such acts in order to discourage such acts and to adequately compensate the public and private victims of illegal dumping.

F. A further purpose of this Chapter is to permit the perpetrators of illegal dumping to perform community service in lieu of monetary or criminal penalties, when appropriate.

G. Dumping of mattresses, large furniture, electronic items, large appliances, and hazardous waste present particular problems as they are difficult and costly to remove.

H. All persons creating waste matter should be responsible to ensure that such waste matter is properly disposed of in the manner provided by law, including not giving waste matter for disposal to a person who is not authorized or who does not legally dispose of such waste matter.

(Ord. No. 13195, § 1, 10-15-2013)