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closeSumner resident urges council to confront graffiti
Council discusses ways to deal with graffiti, including sending letters to property owners
Roxanne Cooke
Sumner resident Pamela Holm wants the city to address what she calls an “increasing graffiti presence” in the city.
She’s lived in town for more than 30 years, and began to notice a proliferation of graffiti in 2006. Last fall, she sent a letter about the issue to Councilmember Matt Richardson. It included dozens of photos depicting graffiti on structures in Sumner.
“Graffiti really is a scourge on the neighborhood, and especially when you have tourists coming,” she said.
Before she wrote the letter, Holm said she approached the police department with her complaint and wasn’t taken seriously.
“They almost laughed me out of there,” she said. “It’s just like it doesn’t exist here.”
Police take complaints very seriously, said Sumner Police Chief John Galle. But as the law stands right now, officers can’t force property owners to remove graffiti.
“The problem we face is the same one the city faces — how to encourage private property owners to remove graffiti on their property,” Galle said.
And that’s what council members discussed at Monday night’s study session. City Administrator John Doan and City Attorney Brett Vinson explained to council that it can be as simple as amending the city’s nuisance ordinance to include graffiti.
The nuisance ordinance provides regulations for property owners regarding debris and damage, and institutes fines if the rules aren’t followed. The downside, Doan said, is that the regulations and fines could only be utilized if a complaint is filed. It also holds the property owner responsible for the graffiti.
And it’s more than just an appearance issue, he continued. It’s a safety concern as well because an area with graffiti is likely to attract more crime.
“Dealing with graffiti is not just an eyesore issue,” Doan said.
Several council members liked the idea of mailing letters to property owners who have graffiti on their buildings, and paying to remove any graffiti on city-owned structures. If the letters aren’t effective, then amending the ordinance is another option to consider.
But it should be something that’s enforceable and affordable, said Councilman Leroy Goff.
Graffiti on a brick wall where KC’s Caboose formerly sat was a particular concern to both Holm and some council members, because it’s the first thing many visitors and Sounder passengers see when entering or passing through town.
That’s not representative of Sumner, Richardson said.
“That looks like Detroit,” he said.
Because Sumner is a town that caters to tourists, the city should put graffiti cleaning and removal at the top of its priority list, Holm said.
“I think it’d behoove Sumner,” she said.
Holm, who spends part of the year living in Palm Springs, Calif., said she was surprised to learn that Sumner does not have a graffiti hotline to call in complaints. She has frequently used the graffiti hotline offered in Palm Springs.
“I’ve programmed it into the telephone,” she said.
The longtime Sumner resident is hoping that her letter will spur city council to create such a hotline, or to at least find a way to deal with the graffiti before it creates more crime.
“I’ve noticed the graffiti getting worse,” Holm said. “It’s just kind of scary. I get shivers down my spine.”