Residents tell board sanitation complaints persist despite 311 requests; district boundaries cited

Residents and board members at a Community Board 11 meeting described persistent litter, overflowing trash and slow sanitation responses, and they urged the board to use elected-official liaisons and district service channels to escalate cleanup.

"That trash sits there and piles up for weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks that turn into months," said Kadara Lowe, a community board member describing conditions on blocks around Bronx Park East between Allerton and Burke avenues.

Speakers said limited pickup and uneven cleanliness appear to vary by building type and by sanitation district boundaries; one attendee noted a clean block across the street while adjacent blocks remained full of trash. Board members discussed the mechanics of 311 reporting and escalation: repeatedly calling 311 appears to help in some cases, but multiple speakers recommended sending complaint numbers or photos to the community board office so district service-cabinet meetings can raise unresolved requests directly with agencies.

Committee members suggested other escalation paths: constituent liaisons in elected officials' offices and direct emails to DSNY contacts. Several members said the board should continue forwarding pictures and complaint numbers to Jeremy (district services staff) so the issue can be elevated when the district service cabinet meets.

Members also linked sanitation problems to staffing concerns and construction-related debris, and they discussed whether concentrated outreach (getting many neighbors to log 311 reports) changes agency prioritization. The group agreed to follow up by collecting documentation and coordinating with council and assembly liaisons and DSNY contacts.

Ending: The committee asked residents to continue documenting problem sites and to send complaint numbers and photos to the community board office for district-level escalation.