McDaniel: Merced County Board of Supervisors takes action to address illegal dumping

If there’s one thing we can agree on as a community, it’s that we don’t like seeing trash in or around our neighborhoods.

It happens far too often in California, and Merced County is no exception. Whether it be discarded mattresses, couches, tires, or just a pile of someone’s household garbage—it’s an unacceptable trend that needs to stop.

Recently, the Merced County Board of Supervisors took collective action to address this issue by implementing fines for those who dump illegally.

While County Code previously contained language addressing illegal dumping, there was no means to penalize anyone who dumps illegally unless he or she is literally caught in the act.

Thanks to a new ordinance approved by the Board earlier this year, there is now an administrative penalty that can be imposed on an individual if two or more pieces of identifying information is found within or amongst the dumped material.

County Code Enforcement will continue to make a concerted effort to prevent/address illegal dumping, but with the option of imposing an administrative penalty on offenders, we now have another tool in the proverbial toolbelt to combat this issue.

Code Enforcement will be flexible when working with offenders in an effort to avoid fines, but if cooperation and communication breaks down, those fines will be levied. An appeals process will be available for anyone who disagrees with the enforcement action or penalty amount.

I would like to personally thank the entire Board of Supervisors for approving this item, especially District 4 Supervisor Lloyd Pareira and District 5 Supervisor Scott Silveira who led the charge. I would also like to thank staff from the Merced County Department of Community and Economic Development for their stellar work on the development of this ordinance.

Merced County is a beautiful place. We need to keep it that way.

Residents of Merced County or its cities can dispose of trash and unwanted items at any of our annual “Community Cleanup” events: www.countyofmerced.com/communitycleanup.

If you do see someone illegally dumping, please contact the Merced County Department of Public Works—Roads Division at 209-385-7601 or report it by using the Merced County mobile app. To get the app on Android/Google Play, search “Merced County” and download. For iPhones, download the “CivicMobile” app, open it, then search for and select “Merced County.”

If we all do our part to keep our community clean, we can all enjoy the benefits.