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Resident urges city help after repeated dumping and bear encounters under nearby bridge
Summary
A Leavenworth resident described recurring trash, human waste and transient camping under a nearby bridge that he says is attracting bears and fouling a hillside; he said agency responses so far have been limited and asked the council to use its contacts to pursue cleanup and enforcement.
Jeff Harris, who identified himself to the council as a local resident at 9898 East Slover Road, appealed during public comment for help after repeated illegal dumping and human waste at a riverside site near his property.
Harris told the council that neighbors recently cleaned “countless garbage bags” from a hillside under a bridge but the site returned to a similar state within three weeks. He said he had contacted the sheriff’s office, state patrol, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Fish and Wildlife and was told enforcement is limited: “There’s really nothing we can do because we can find him, but he’s not gonna pay the fine,” he said. Harris added that the garbage blows toward the river and that he has observed bears in the same area.
Council members acknowledged the problem and suggested staff and council contacts might be able to coordinate with DOT, the sheriff and state agencies to pursue cleanup and longer-term solutions. The council did not take a formal action during the meeting but encouraged Harris to leave contact information and to continue coordination with staff.
