Nipomo Community Services District looks into fighting graffiti

Interested in playing a bigger role protecting the town's beauty, the Nipomo Community Services District Board of Directors today will discuss the possibility of activating a latent power to fund efforts to prevent graffiti.

Residents have recently complained about the prevalence of unsightly tagging, especially noticeable on both public and private property such as West Tefft Street stores and homes near Orchard Road and Division Street.

Some residents said they are concerned about the problem, but

didn't want to talk publicly for fear it would result in graffiti on their own homes.

“There is a problem in this community,” said Mike Winn, NCSD president. “It was a serious issue about 12 years ago and then it abated for some time, and now it seems to be resurging a bit.”

Cmdr. Martin Basti of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department said there have been incidents lately in Nipomo, but many of the perpetrators have been caught quickly based on speedy community responses.

“There's no more in Nipomo than in any other South County community,” he said. “It comes in waves.”

Based on residents' concerns, Director Ed Eby asked the board to decide whether to research further if it's possible to use public funds to help paint over graffiti.

The meeting starts today at 9 a.m. today at the NCSD building, 148 S. Wilson St.

NCSD General Manager Bruce Buel said that if the board directs staff to look into the issue, he would need at least until April before he could bring back information on how the power would work.

In that time, Buel said he would try to determine whether it would be cost effective to hire additional staff to monitor tagging or buy supplies that a community group could use.

“I need to figure out if anybody has come up with a good scheme to pay for these costs,” he said.

Winn said he could be supportive of activating the powers, but said it would probably be best to allow citizen groups to take care of the problem with NCSD money - a cheaper solution than hiring additional staff.

Saying too many unanswered questions remain to have a firm opinion on the issue, Director Larry Vierheilig added that he would support inexpensive methods for solving the graffiti problem.

“Everybody would say it's a great power and you guys ought to do that, but there's an enforcement part,” he said. “How do we handle that?”

In the meantime, Basti said community members should call the Sheriff's Department as soon as possible after noticing graffiti so it can be removed, which discourages people from vandalizing property. Also, the Sheriff's Department has free paint at the station to offer property owners who want to cover tagging.

Basti also said he was pleased to hear that the community was taking a more active role in preventing graffiti and was supportive of the NCSD activating its power.

“If you involve the community in reporting and assisting the community, then that's how you prevent it and stop it from happening,” Basti said.

To report tagging or get paint, call the Sheriff's Department's South Station at 473-7100.

Randi Block can be reached at 347-4580 or rblock@santamariatimes.com.

February 14, 2007