City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council direct staff to make additional public outreach efforts to inform
Culver City residents about the options available to report graffiti and provide further
direction as deemed appropriate regarding the graffiti abatement program and
restitution by individuals (and/or their families) who are convicted of graffiti related
crimes.
BACKGROUND:
Graffiti abatement is an important issue for Culver City. It is generally accepted that
the rapid removal of graffiti is a deterrent to additional graffiti. Since 1993 the City
Public Works Department has utilized the services of Graffiti Control Systems of
North Hollywood on a contract basis to remove graffiti on building and walls
throughout the City. Additionally, the City’s Public Works crews remove graffiti from
street light poles, utility boxes, trees, sidewalks and curbs, and traffic signs on an on-
going basis. The Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department provides
graffiti abatement within the City’s parks and utilizes the services of the City’s
contractor on an on-call basis. Currently, graffiti is generally removed five days per
week (Monday through Friday) by the City’s contractor and City crews. Last year the
City’s contractor responded to a total of 6194 graffiti incidents which averages
approximately 25 per work day throughout the year. One “incident” may involve
several pieces of graffiti in the same general area. On a typical day the City
receives twelve to fifteen graffiti complaints on the graffiti hotline.
Meeting Date: 08/22/05 Item Number: A-5
AGENDA ITEM: Consideration of: 1) Increased Advertisement for the Graffiti
Abatement Program; and 2) Adopting Guidelines for a Restitution Program for
Graffiti Violators
Contact Persons/Dept.: Charles D.
Herbertson, Public Works; John
Montanio, CCPD
Phone Number: (310) 253-5630
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification:
Master Notification List 8/17/05
Department Approval:
Charles D. Herbertson 8/11/05
CAO Approval:
Jerry Fulwood 8/17/05
City Controller Approval:
Marlee Chang 8/17/05City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
DISCUSSION:
The City’s current graffiti abatement program involves the combined efforts of the
City’s contractor, Public Works and Parks, Recreation & Community Services crews.
Calls for graffiti removal are received from various sources including the graffiti
hotline, (310) 253-6449, direct phone referrals to Public Works, the City’s on-line
pothole and graffiti reporting system (recently initiated), and emails.
The City’s graffiti hotline is a recording available 24 hours per day, seven days per
week. Each morning of the work week, Public Works staff makes a list from the calls
received on the graffiti hotline and the web based reporting system. This list is given
to the City’s contractor who adds this information to his own list that he makes each
morning by driving throughout the City. The combined list then constitutes that day’s
graffiti removal effort by the contractor. Occasionally, when Public Works is
informed of a priority graffiti removal need, Public Works staff contacts the
Contractor by cell phone during the day and adds additional items to the list.
The graffiti removal contractor provides one man for graffiti removal. The most
appropriate method of removal is determined by the contractor. When paint is used,
the contractor is required to employ a spectrophotometer computer color match
system to match existing colors as closely as possible. The cost for removal is
based on the square footage of area painted or chemically treated for graffiti
removal. (Please see attached excerpt from the contract for current graffiti removal
rates.) The average response time from receipt of the graffiti complaint to removal
of the graffiti is 48 hours. Graffiti is removed from both public and private properties
by the contractor. The contractor is required to obtain private property owner
approval prior to removing graffiti. Additionally, the contract requires the contractor
to indemnify the City for injury to property or person arising out of its performance of
the agreement and the contractor is required to maintain $1,000,000 of general
liability insurance.
Weekend Coverage:
Currently there is no regularly scheduled weekend removal of graffiti by Public
Works staff or its contractor. However, staff has recently discussed this option with
the City’s contractor who has offered to provide occasional weekend service, on an
as-needed basis, at the same price per square foot of graffiti removal as regular
weekday service. The cost for occasional weekend call-outs could most likely be
absorbed in the current budget, depending on the frequency of occurrence. If the
need for weekend coverage is on-going then staff will need to negotiate a fee and
contract amendment with the contractor. This option would require an additional
appropriation and budget amendment of approximately $60K to $75K for a contract City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
amendment. In addition, this option will require approximately two hours of overtime
per week for City staff to come into the office each Sunday morning to retrieve
information from the graffiti hotline and web reporting system and provide the
information to the graffiti contractor. This would require an additional appropriation
of $2,750 to cover the overtime staff costs.
For now, occasional emergency weekend graffiti removal can be accomplished by
contacting Heustace Lewis, Maintenance Operations Manager or Charles
Herbertson, the Public Works Director by cell phone and the contractor will be called
out. This option is not available to the general public. The contractor has indicated
that it will take them approximately four hours to mobilize and arrive on scene to
abate the graffiti when called out on a weekend.
Additional Public Outreach:
Currently there is little advertisement of the City’s graffiti control services. In order to
assist residents in reporting graffiti staff recommends that a portion of the graffiti
abatement budget be set aside each year for quarterly ads in local newspapers
advertising the City’s graffiti abatement services and providing the Hotline
Telephone number and instructions for reporting graffiti on-line. Additionally, ads
can be included in Culver City Living.
Restitution Program:
The Police Department reviewed the graffiti related incidents and arrests covering
the period from June 1, 2004 through June 1, 2005. During this period there were
48 graffiti related reports. (It should be kept in mind that the Police Department is
not notified of most graffiti incidents.) Nineteen of those reports were cleared by
arrest with a total of 29 suspects arrested.
Detectives obtained criminal filings in 16 of the 19 cases with a total of 26
misdemeanor and three felony complaints filed with the Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Office.
The majority of these cases resulted in guilty pleas by the defendants who were all
placed on probation. Although the Police Department and District Attorney’s Office
routinely requests restitution be part of the sentence, the Police Department does
not have access to court records to verify whether or not restitution was actually
ordered as a condition of probation or if any ordered restitution was actually paid to
the City. The City currently has no mechanism in place to track such monies even if
the City had been reimbursed.City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
The Police Department and City Attorney’s Office recently joined together to review
each graffiti arrest on a case-by-case basis in order to make a determination if the
City Attorney should initiate civil proceedings against suspects and/or families. This
approach is too new to evaluate the cost benefit results. The City Attorney has been
successful in obtaining Restitution Agreements with some suspects and families
especially if a juvenile offender was involved.
Approximately eight years ago, staff evaluated the issue of having suspects
sentenced to community service to help with graffiti removal. It was determined at
that time that this solution was not practical because of the potential liability the City
could incur from injuries sustained while working and the additional workload to
supervise and manage such a program.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The current fiscal year budget includes $185,000 for Graffiti Abatement services. In
fiscal year 2004/2005 approximately $170,000 was spent on graffiti abatement. Of
this amount approximately $126,000 was paid for by the Redevelopment Agency
since the service was provided in a redevelopment project area and approximately
$42,000 was paid from the general fund. The addition of weekend service on an on-
going basis would require budget amendments of approximately $60,000 to $75,000
to cover additional contract costs for weekend work and a budget amendment of
$2,750 to cover additional staff overtime costs.
ATTACHMENTS:
1.) Excerpts from contract for Graffiti Abatement with Graffiti Control Systems.
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1a.) Direct staff to set aside a portion of the annual graffiti budget allocation for
the purpose of advertisement of the City’s graffiti abatement services and
utilize on-call weekend graffiti removal services on an as needed basis;
OR
1b.) Direct staff to set aside a portion of the annual graffiti budget allocation for
the purpose of advertisement of the City’s graffiti abatement services,
amend the budget by adding an additional $75,000 for graffiti abatement City of Culver City, California
City Council Agenda Item Report
services to provide for full weekend coverage and $2,750 for additional
staff overtime, and direct staff to negotiate a contract amendment with
Graffiti Control Systems for the purpose of providing weekend graffiti
abatement; (Item 1b would require a 4/5ths affirmative vote of the
City Council)
OR
1c.) Direct staff to set aside a portion of the annual graffiti budget allocation for
the purpose of advertisement of the City’s graffiti abatement services and
to issue a Request For Proposals for weekend graffiti abatement and
return to the City Council for award of the contract and any necessary
budget amendments;
2.) Provide direction to staff regarding the establishment of a restitution program
for graffiti violators.
MEETING DATE August 22, 2005
AGENDA ITEM Consideration of 1) Increased Advertisement for the Graffiti
Abatement Program and 2) Adopting Guidelines for a Restitution Program for
Graffiti Violators
ATTACHMENTS
Pages|109| Excerpts from contract for Graffiti Abatement with 1
Graffiti Control SystemsBID FORM
PUBLIC WORKS /REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
METHOD OF REMOVAL AREA COVERED COST PER LOCATION COST PER SQ FOOT
Computer color match paint Up to 330 square feet k• 10 b.° . . c)'"
331 square feet to 660 square feet . oct
661 square feet to 990 square feet
$ 5061 . oc‘
Chemical/solvent removal Up to 50 square feet 4, 2 5Dt , 5 o
51 square feet and above i 2 5 al i 5 0
Soda Bicarbonate removal Up to 50 square feet kg) CrI Cs, SIS
51 square feet and above 0 0. CA (, 175.
Sandblast removal Up to 50 square feet k)ozt, CM,
ctf
51 square feet and above 1,)c, C C
cr
Other methods/procedures and pricing schedule for items that may be called upon to be provided by the
contractor
Application of a permanent protective coating
Cost per square foot ,
Rate for meetings with city official, neighborhood groups,
and/or assistance with volunteer graffiti removal groups Price per hour k) t) (4.6
Price per gallon of computer color match paint delivered to
volunteer graffiti removal groups Price per gallon k) eirOR
Describe the type of treatment(s) you would typically perform, on average, on the following surfaces
Method to be subjectively reviewed by Maintenance Manager and if found to be unacceptable to him, may eliminate
bidder
1) Concrete walls c`nemm\
2) Brick walls c,hetc\\(. .\ sui.2
3) Painted surfaces mcc,c0er )3,-06(\ ca“
4) Stucco walls C-C41\ 9)le.0 141A-0\
folkf\-\.
ch .e_mc.A or. Soda 5) Trees
6) Street light poles Metal c\()e.mc.t.\
Concrete
6\ eikm.c,A
7) Metal mailboxes c‘c)e,mkt,t\
c_'netmcb,\ 8) Cement walkways/sidewalks at
9) Wood walls/fences uskc,c_N‘ermaK cf t Sikt10) Decorative stone (i e, river rock, slate, etc ) c`c)e.v\vA\ or sod;
grafbid doe
In