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City presents clean‑task‑force results; announces DOJ tobacco and CalRecycle grants
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Summary
Montebello staff described increased vacant‑property monitoring, several demolitions that led to steep drops in calls for service, and two grants totaling $592,181 to support tobacco enforcement and illegal‑dumping abatement through mid‑2028.
City planning and code‑enforcement staff presented the Clean Task Force’s recent work and funding at the council meeting, detailing outcomes at multiple nuisance properties and announcing two grant awards.
Staff highlights: Management analyst Lanaya Laire and senior management analyst Maria Alcantara reported that identified vacant properties rose from 21 in 2023 to 67 in 2025 as the city expanded monitoring. The number of properties brought back into use rose from 2 in 2023 to 18 in 2025; the 2025 registration rate was reported as 38 of 49 vacant properties (77.6%).
Site examples: Staff said coordinated action on a former car‑wash site at 2302 West Whittier Boulevard resulted in demolition on 11/06/2025 and a drop in calls for service from 32 in the 12 months before demolition to 3 in the four months after. A high‑risk residential structure at 418 South Maple Street was demolished after a 03/26/2025 fire; staff reported calls for service fell to zero in the months after stabilization.
Grants and enforcement: "Most notably, the city was awarded $317,181 through the Department of Justice Tobacco Grant Program," staff said; the award supports enforcement of state tobacco laws, including enforcement related to the flavored‑tobacco ban (Senate Bill 793) and runs through 06/30/2028. Staff also announced a $275,000 CalRecycle illegal‑disposal abatement grant (through 06/30/2028) to remove hazardous debris and implement preventive measures such as fencing and cameras.
Next steps: Staff said the grants will fund retailer inspections, undercover operations, education efforts, cleanup work and cost‑recovery actions where permitted by grant guidelines. Council members asked for continued coordination across police, fire, public works and the city attorney's office and thanked staff for the results.
Context: Staff framed the Clean Task Force as a multi‑department effort to reduce blight, improve safety and return property to productive use. The presentation included maps of reassigned enforcement areas and changed schedules to match peak activity.
Ending: Staff concluded the presentation and made themselves available for questions; council followed with questions about enforcement escalation, property‑owner outreach, and incentives to reactivate vacant sites.
