The landscape crew for the District’s Wilshire streetscape continues to maintain all 15 medians and about 160 flower pots along Wilshire Blvd. The work consists of removal of trash, trimming of plants, watering of plants, repairing the sprinkler system, and replacing damaged plants. The WCBID trimmed a very large palm tree near Western and 5th Street last month.

Last quarter, maintenance team collected 2,568 bags of trash (59,064 lbs.), dispensed approximately 4,000 doggie bags, and removed 36 graffiti tags on sidewalk pots, poles, and news racks. The crew is out every Monday and Thursday sweeping the sidewalks, picking up trash, clearing gutters and painting out graffiti from street poles, news racks, and flower planters. The team empties approximately 60 trash cans throughout the District. The WCBID added a new doggie bag station at the St. Andrew Manor apartment building near 5th Street and St. Andrews Place.

Last quarter, the security team assisted the City in getting over 544 bulky items picked up, made 86 calls/reports to the City for street services (311), assisted in getting 152 graffiti tags cleaned up, and 3 potholes reported and fixed. The team responded to 231 calls for assists to property owners, managers, stakeholders, pedestrians, LAPD and others. They issued 24 illegal vendor warnings and assisted 87 homeless individuals; reported 199 homeless encampments; 709 illegal signs were removed. The team addressed the subject of 78 belligerent transients and 9 drinking in public. The team captain attended 5 LAPD crime control meetings and attended the quarterly WC/K Business Watch meeting.

The (LAHSA & WCBID) Wilshire Center/Koreatown Homeless Count took take place last week on January 25th at 8PM. Around 100 volunteers signed up. Volunteers met at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church at 3300 Wilshire Blvd. and were deployed throughout the District to conduct the annual Point-in-Time Count. An accurate count is vital to secure the needed resources to end homelessness in our community.

The WCBIC continues its efforts to work with the LAPD Olympic Station, HOPE Team, LAHSA, DMH, CD10, CES, The City Attorneys Office, and others to continue addressing homelessness in the District.

Last month the WCBID and People for Parks secured a grant for the additional $3,250 from the Wilshire Center/Koreatown Neighborhood Council to keep the Community School Park at Young Oak Kim Academy open for the next 6 months. Over 50 people have been coming out to the community school park and basketball courts every Saturday. People for Parks recently hired a new community organizer to work with the local parent groups, so we hope to get the attendance numbers up over the next couple of months.