NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — Piles of trash and illegal dumping continue to be a problem in Niagara Falls, but city officials and residents say the issue is beginning to improve.
"They're doing a great job, but we still have a ways to go," city council member Bridgette Myles said.
A little over a month ago, we reported on illegal dumping in the city, voicing neighbors' and Myles' concerns.
WATCH: 'It's disgusting': Niagara Falls leaders demand action over illegal dumping, abandoned properties
Immediately after that story aired, Niagara Falls unveiled a "Clean Team" to address it. The city now posts almost daily on social media about the teams cleaning up the streets, and neighbors are taking notice.
"Before that [news coverage], I think they weren't really looking into it. Since people made it aware that there's mad garbage in the alleyways, they're doing a real good job picking it up," a neighbor on 7th Street said.
While some neighborhoods have seen improvements, there are plenty of spots that need cleaning. Myles took me down an alley off 15th Street that she says she's been calling about for a month, but piles of trash remain.
"If you look at this, it's just sad. It's terrible. It's disgusting," Myles said. "It's just sad, it's heartbreaking."
"I get it, we need more people, but we have to go find those people to work. People will work. We just have to find those people. We have to redo our priorities and get this city clean," Myles said.
"It's very difficult for the public sector to compete with the private sector, which tends to pay more," Mayor Robert Restaino wrote in an op-ed in the Niagara Gazette.
Within that op-ed, Restaino asked neighbors to "take some pride in keeping the streets clean."
"Although we're encouraged by the progress our Clean Teams are making, we also need the assistance of our residents to step up and help keep our neighborhoods clean," he said.
He also said he would propose increased fines against property owners who "allow their land to fall into disrepair." Currently, fines for those kinds of violations start at $250.
WATCH: 'A ways to go': Niagara Falls taking steps to stop illegal dumping
Residents who witness illegal dumping are asked to report it via email: illegaldumping@niagarafallsny.gov.
"We need to regain control," Myles said. "We need to have a solid plan to keep our city clean. After that, we need to enforce it. It's not being enforced."
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