PUEBLO — A “Trash Task Force” made up of leaders across Pueblo County and the City of Pueblo is seeking funding for an “eye in the sky” approach to combating illegal dumping.
The task force is asking for a total of more than $286,000, half each from the city and county, to fund 20 high-definition surveillance cameras to be strategically placed at notorious illegal dumping locations, ten in the city and ten in the county. “These cameras are very high quality,” said Pueblo County Commissioner Garrison Ortiz, a member of the task force, “resistant to weather and vandalism.”
Ortiz says Black Hills Energy has granted utilization of their utility poles to mount the cameras, which can be installed and uninstalled at various locations based on the recommendations of a new full-time Environmental Health Specialist which would be hired with the funds.
ILLEGAL DUMPING HOT SPOTS IDENTIFIED: The Pueblo City County Trash Task Force is showing the hot spots for illegal dumping in Pueblo city and county. The map below is where the group wants to put 20 cameras to catch people dumping their junk. @KOAA pic.twitter.com/8NmK6C89jI
— Carl Winder KOAA (@CWinderKOAA) June 25, 2019
The plan would also include increasing fines for illegal dumping, organizing 30 illegal dump site cleanup events, and creating an annual Illegal Dumping Awareness Day. View the entire plan HERE.
“I’m really excited that we have something very thoughtful and tangible that we think will really change the way that we physically present our city,” Ortiz said.
