SAN ANTONIO - It's a huge problem that costs the city $1 million each year: the city cleans up enough graffiti to cover not just one, but seven football fields annually. Now a new tool will help clean up businesses and properties around town.
District 7 Councilman Cris Medina unveiled a new power washer Friday afternoon. His office helped secure funding to pay for the $10,000 tool, which uses a chemical to basically melt away the spray paint.
Neighbors on Bandera Road near Broadview were excited to see the new equipment.
"It is ugly. It makes it look so ugly, very ghetto," said Olga Ochoa, about the graffiti in the area.
The city now owns five power washers, which Medina said may not be enough to keep up with the tagging throughout the city.
You can report graffiti by calling 311 or using the city's graffiti app.
"I know the council looks every year to budget more of these rigs and add more resources to abatement. We've proposed some policies down at city hall which would hopefully address it more on the front end," he said.
Medina is working on a "comprehensive" ordinance, targeting tagging. It includes stiffer penalties and a possible database to track all the tags citywide. It is currently in a council committee. The power washer was paid for using funds from a city council project fund.
