Augusta committees press for faster action on illegal dumping as city teams update ordinance work

Augusta Richmond County commissioners pressed city staff on the county's persistent illegal-dumping problem, seeking faster enforcement and clearer funding and reporting mechanisms.

Commissioner Pulliam opened the discussion by saying she continues to receive daily complaints about illegal dumping and asked Administrator Allen for an update on the county's Clean City initiative. Administrator Allen said the county has convened an interdepartmental effort—including the marshal's office, Richmond County Sheriff's Office, planning and development, environmental services, code enforcement and IT'—to audit problem sites and streamline response procedures. She said staff are reviewing outdated ordinances and expect to bring ordinance-change recommendations to the governing body after legal review, "hopefully within the next 60 days," she said.

The marshal's office provided enforcement metrics to the committee: year-to-date investigations of illegal dumping, inoperable vehicles, and litter complaints, and hundreds of total cases processed in recent years. The office also reported dozens of arrests and citations tied to enforcement activity. Code enforcement told the committee it has opened more than 10,500 cases since 2024 and has executed 104 court-ordered demolition actions; it has also removed nearly 4,800 illegal signs.

Douglas Freeman, executive director of the Augusta Housing Authority, told commissioners that while some AHA-owned units needed repair, most AHA properties in Barton Village were not in the condition described by some commissioners; he said many problem properties in the development are privately owned. Freeman said AHA had inspected its 155 units there, taken photos dated May 8'11 and had opened work orders for specific maintenance issues.

Commissioners said the metrics show work is being done but repeated cleanups at the same locations indicate gaps in deterrence. Commissioner Clark requested that staff develop a public-facing dashboard so residents can track cases and enforcement activity; the marshal's office said CityWorks is used internally and IT is working on a public dashboard. Administrator Allen agreed to return with a more detailed plan and with proposals to align staffing and funding with enforcement needs.

The committee also discussed fines and enforcement authority. Attorney Plunkett said staff can review current fine amounts and ordinance language and report back on what changes are legally feasible. Administrator Allen said portions of earlier enforcement capacity referenced in current codes rely on positions and titles that have changed and must be updated in parallel with any legal changes.

What happens next: The committee received the update as information and directed staff to bring ordinance revisions, staffing recommendations and a funding or implementation plan back in about 60 days.

Quotes (selected)

"We are in fact addressing the issue, and we are working even if it looks like the work is slow. Please continue to send in your emails," Commissioner Pulliam said, urging continued resident reporting.

"We actually went out on a tour to look at each of some of the sites that we have, and we do have a number of ungodly looking sites that need to be addressed," Administrator Allen said, describing the cross-department assessment.

"We have a 104 demolition orders signed by a judge" since 2024, code enforcement staff said, highlighting the volume of enforcement work underway.

Ending

Staff will return with ordinance-change proposals, a memo on legal thresholds for fines, a proposed staffing/implementation plan and a public-facing metric dashboard within the committee's stated timeline.