Neighborhood Improvement Task Force outlines short- and long-term fixes for litter, encampments and lighting

Chris Clark, an environmental services specialist in the city’s Sustainability and Resilience Department, told the Santa Barbara Fire and Police Commission that the Neighborhood Improvement Task Force (NITF) coordinates city departments to address neighborhood‑level concerns such as litter, illegal dumping, encampments, lighting and pedestrian safety.

"The NITF is a city of Santa Barbara multi departmental working group tasked with finding solutions to neighborhood level public concerns related to cleanliness, safety, and enhancement opportunities," Clark said. He described a two‑track approach that uses existing departmental resources for short‑term fixes while identifying funding and planning for longer projects.

The task force evaluates each concern against three primary categories—clean, safe and enhanced—and scores candidates using factors that include frequency of reports, estimated cost and community input. Clark said the NITF often does site visits and assigns action items to departments when an issue…