Seattle City Council is moving forward with a Council Budget Action (CBA) that would increase appropriations to Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) by $100,000 GF (General Fund) to enhance community cleanup services through partnerships.

The budget proposal, known as CBA SPU-002-A-2 (also cited as SPU-002-A), is titled: “Increase SPU by $100,000 GF for additional community cleanup services through community partners”.

The action is sponsored by Councilmember Rob Saka, with Councilmembers Sara Nelson, Joy Hollingsworth, and Alexis Mercedes Rinck listed as co-sponsors. The funds will supplement the approximately $468,000 already included in the 2026 Proposed Budget for SPU’s Adopt-a-Street program and other community cleanup activities.

Focus on Community Partners and Pilot Programs

The $100,000 increase is intended to support additional neighborhood cleanup events and activities. The funding is specifically designed to work through established community partners that have demonstrated a history of collaboration with City departments and are actively performing weekly services in the community.

The CBA also aims to launch a new pilot program. This pilot would fund volunteer cleaning ambassadors and periodic neighborhood cleanups located in Morgan Junction, Alaska Junction, and Admiral Junction. The overall intent is for SPU to contract with community organizations to provide cleanup and maintenance services in City parks, greenbelts, and rights-of-way, covering services such as litter pickup, vegetation management, and beautification projects. The funds may also cover cleaning supplies, disposal services, event coordination, and data collection on litter volumes and types.

Legal Restrictions Require Open Competition

While the CBA aims to support groups with proven track records, such as A Cleaner Alki in West Seattle, city legal issues prevent the funding from being directly earmarked for any single agency. This is why the central staff summary uses the phrasing “such as A Cleaner Alki in West Seattle”.

Due to these legal constraints, the funding will likely have to go through an open and competitive process.

A Cleaner Alki (ACA) founder, Erik Bell, has been urging public support for the funding effort.

A Cleaner Alki has been recognized for its work, and was most recently honored with the 2025 Denny Award for Thriving Environment from Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Urging Public Support: Contacting City Council

For residents wishing to advocate for the funding measure, Bell stated that having willing parties write emails to council members "will likely be very meaningful and persuasive". Council Member Saka noted that in-person comments are much more persuasive than online.

The public can contact all council members through the central email address council@seattle.gov, or by reaching out to the individual members below: