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LA San says illegal-dumping backlog cut; promises 24–48 hour response by mid-February
Summary
LA San presented progress reducing an illegal-dumping backlog caused by a loss of 112 positions and CRM issues; officials said over 10,000 MyLA311 backlog requests were cleared and they expect to restore a 24–48 hour response window by mid-February.
The Public Works Committee heard a two-part presentation from LA Sanitation on illegal dumping and residential bulky-item collection. Nicholas Fuentes, assistant division manager for Livability Services, said the department has eliminated more than 10,000 MyLA311 backlog requests since December and expects the illegal-dumping program to return to a 24–48 hour response window by mid-February after staffing fills and technical fixes.
"We have eliminated over 10,000 backlog MyLA311 service request," Fuentes said, and attributed the earlier backlog to the loss of roughly 112 positions, a new CRM system that created data-routing problems, and a consolidation of local yards that increased travel times.
Pablo Serrano, assistant division manager for collections, said bulky-item collection remained comparatively resilient. Serrano told the committee the department staffs about 179 collection and maintenance workers focused on bulky-item pickup and reported a 96.87% completion rate for July 2024–June 2025 and 97.46% for the July–December 2025 period the department presented. He also described monthly 'second Saturday' drop-off events and safe-center locations for hazardous materials.
Abraham Abrahamian, chief environmental compliance inspector with Watershed Protection, explained how illegal-dumping investigations proceed: inspectors collect evidence (labels, addresses), use surveillance and coordinate with the Los Angeles Police Department to run license plates, and work with other departments to determine responsibility. He cited Los Angeles Municipal Code section 64.70 and California Penal Code section 374 when describing penalties: LAMC 64.70 carries infractions starting at $250 and misdemeanors that can reach $1,000; Penal Code 374 covers littering infractions.
Fuentes and Abrahamian said penalties escalate for larger quantities or hazardous materials, which can trigger higher offenses. The committee asked for follow-up reports on motions currently with the City Attorney and the CAO about expanding ACE administrative-citation authority and clarifying agency responsibilities for enforcement of trash bins in the public right-of-way.
No formal action was taken on the verbal discussion.
