Reducing blight one pile at a time: Call 3-1-1

Councilmember Tom LaBonge's four-year quest to extend the bulky item pick up service to apartments became a reality the first week of October; it was announced Monday in an area of East Hollywood that has been plagued by the scurge of illegal dumping.

"There's nothing that brings a neighborhood down faster than trash and discarded household junk left on the streets," said Councilmember Tom LaBonge. "But there's nothing that brings a neighborhood up like clean streets and we expect this program will help greatly." Mayor Villaraigosa elicited a laugh with his slogan: "One call and we'll haul," referring to the ease of calling the city's toll-free service number 3-1-1. LaBonge worked alongside the Bureau of Sanitation and Los Angeles Apartment Owners Assn. to craft the program that is funded via a nominal fee charged to apartment owners and residents on their LADWP bill. Up to now, pickup was offered to 750,000 single-family residential customers; now the service will be expanded to some 600,000 additional units.