City of Wenatchee hiring dedicated crew to combat littering and vandalism

WENATCHEE—The City of Wenatchee announced that it will be hiring a three-person crew to tackle the growing issues of littering, vandalism, and overall city maintenance. The new team will operate under the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department from April to September every year, focusing on removing debris and graffiti and maintaining public restrooms.

In 2023, city crews disposed of an estimated 100,000 pounds of debris, ranging from human waste to discarded furniture, found in parks, open spaces, streets, and other public areas. The Parks Department has actively managed these issues in the past but lacks the ongoing capacity to significantly impact the problem.

“We need to have a concentrated effort on this issue, our city teams have actively tried to keep up with this work but the level is overwhelming their ability to focus on other critical maintenance operations,” said City Administrator Laura Gloria.

The dedicated three-person crew will collaborate with other city departments to manage ongoing cleanup issues and provide additional resources to address this visible community blight and public safety concern. Mayor Mike Poirier also called upon city residents to be part of the solution, encouraging everyday actions such as cleaning up after pets and properly disposing of garbage and waste.

The city also reminded residents of existing codes designed to keep the city safe and clean, including a recent change to the parking regulations for recreational vehicles (RVs). RVs are now only allowed on city streets when the driver or owner is loading or unloading, as their size can obstruct traffic, pedestrian and bike sight lines and create access issues for emergency responses.

With the addition of the dedicated cleanup crew, the City of Wenatchee aims to improve the overall cleanliness and safety of public spaces for its residents and visitors.