The battle against graffiti in Barrie continues.
City councillors, sitting as finance and responsible governance committee Nov. 27, will consider a graffiti removal motion regarding a fence on Essa Road, north of Mapleview Drive.
“It was your typical tag with the tagger's logo and was large enough to almost cover most of an eight-foot section,” said Coun. Gary Harvey, the committee chairman who also is the Ward 7 councillor.
The $226 cost was for sandblasting to remove the graffiti from the fence.
“It was removed months ago and this is a reimbursement request through my community project fund budget,” Harvey said.
“Statistics have shown that to eradicate graffiti, the best way to accomplish this is to have it cleaned up as quickly as possible," he added. “Graffiti has become an issue across the city the last several years, costing taxpayers thousands in cleanup every year.”
Each councillor has a community project fund budget, with $25,000 for this term of council (2022-26) for projects within their ward.
The city defines graffiti as writing, drawing, symbols or etching applied to any property without permission. It is considered a serious problem within communities, as it reduces property values and damages the appearance of neighbourhoods, according to the city.
Its graffiti abatement program combines removal, enforcement and educational initiatives to reduce the amount of graffiti in Barrie. The public is encouraged to report graffiti, abate it quickly and volunteer for the city’s anti-graffiti efforts.
Painting anti-graffiti coatings and murals on surfaces prone to graffiti is another approach used by the city, its graffiti abatement artwork program.
The city says there’s an unspoken rule among artists that other artists' work isn’t tagged.
The city says it has had success with murals throughout Barrie, as they deter tagging.
Should Harvey’s motion pass Wednesday night, it still requires general committee and city council approval.
