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Resident raises health and building‑maintenance concerns after alleged illegal dumping behind city center
Summary
A resident told the council of alleged illegal dumping and degraded building conditions behind the City Center and at nearby properties, urged stronger inspections and enforcement, and asked that the Complete Streets Committee be consulted on sidewalk and walkability issues.
Resident Steven Whitaker addressed the council during public comment to report alleged illegal dumping behind a City Center garage near the food pantry and to raise broader concerns about failing building maintenance and health hazards.
Whitaker said he submitted public records requests to the building and health officer and found no records documenting the dumping. "It's clear from my experience in the construction world and talking to state officials that you can't dump building materials, sheetrock dust...there's pulverized epoxy from the degrading coatings that they use in that garage," he told the council.
He said corroded handicap ramps and cracked concrete with exposed rebar present hazards near the food‑pantry entrance where people may wait for long periods. Whitaker urged the council to increase enforcement and inspections for unsafe conditions, and to engage the Complete Streets Committee on walkability and bikeability planning; he said that committee has sometimes felt "not heard or included" in city planning.
Council members thanked Whitaker for his input; staff did not announce specific enforcement steps at the meeting. Whitaker said he would provide further information and recommended that John Snell's earlier sidewalk concerns be referred to the Complete Streets Committee.
