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The ****tland (Oregon) Water Bureau plans to install an 8-foot security
fence around the 10-million gallon Kelly Butte storage in Southeast
****tland to combat taggers who have used the green tank as their canvas.
Covering images of body parts, explicit language and cartoon faces every
four months on average has cost the city more than $10,000 in the past
year and a half, Tim Hall, a Water Bureau spokesman, said.
The Lents Neighborhood Association has worked with the city on ways to
avoid more incidents. The Water Bureau proposed the security fence,
which will be installed in late fall. It will cost the city about
$30,000.
Dewey Akers, president of the neighborhood association, isn't sold on
the fence solution.
"A fence is as much an eyesore as graffiti on a tank," Akers said.
He suggested security cameras or putting a cover on the tank to
discourage taggers.
But most of the 25 residents at a June 26 meeting with the city didn't
have an issue with the fence. "It's in a remote enough area that it
isn't going to create a huge visual problem," Akers said. The tank is
off of a neighborhood walking trail.
Marcia Dennis, graffiti abatement coordinator, said there's an increase
of tagging in Lents and the tank's remote location is prone to
vandalism.
Tanks in highly populated areas, such as Mount Tabor, get surveillance
cameras. But the city doesn't have enough resources to pay for that kind
of security for all 70 tanks. The price of installing a security camera
well exceeds the cost of installing a fence, Hall said.
The watchful eye of neighbors who call to re****t mischief has resulted
in the Water Bureau taking down fences around other tagger hot spots.
"Because the Kelly Butte tank is so isolated, there are fewer neighbors
calling the police," Hall said. If the problem continues after the fence
gets installed, the ****tland Water Bureau will brainstorm other
alternatives.
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Poster's Note: I can clearly see this water tank from my home on Mount
Tabor. The tank can also be seen from the 205 freeway and from
****tland's West Hills.
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