Dear Neighbors, Residents have been calling and writing in about litter since before the pandemic started, and calls on this issue have been increasing over the last few months. We all know that litter is a huge problem in San Jose, and it is something that can be controlled. There is actual data that shows litter attracts more litter. We need to get a handle on this now. Prior to the shelter-in-place order, my office hosted a monthly litter pick-up event and there were other neighborhood clean-ups within the city. Especially now, however, neighbors cannot do it alone. That is why I and my colleagues, Mayor Liccardo, Councilmember Diep, and Councilmember Jimenez, are calling for a significant expansion of the budget within the Emergency Operations Center for cleanups and blight remediation, adding approximately $1 million per month, for a total of an additional $3 million until December 31st. We share neighbors' disappointment and frustration with the increase in trash in our community and are concerned about the potential harm to human health and safety as well as the environment that is caused by this blight. Watch the press conference here. Read the full memorandum here. This will be discussed during Council on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Best,