Large encampment garbage cleanups in Kent a regular task

Published 3:11 pm Tuesday, April 21, 2026

In what has become a regular expense for six consecutive years, the Kent City Council recently approved a contract of up to $175,000 in 2026 to pay a company for large cleanups at encampments.

“We have a growing problem with a number of encampments on city properties,” Tony Donati, city Public Works conservation coordinator, told the council during its April 7 Committee of the Whole meeting. “When our operations teams find encampment debris they have to evaluate it real quickly and remove it as soon as possible so more debris doesn’t accumulate.”

Public Works crews will determine whether a contractor is needed.

“If they consider it manageable, they’ll clean it up themselves,” Donati said. “If it’s too large and takes away from other activities and priorities, we need an on-site contract like this to remove it real quick.”

The council approved hiring Auburn-based Totem Logistics, which specializes in encampment cleanups. The contract will run through Jan. 16, 2027 and not exceed $175,000, according to city documents. The city has contracted with Totem since 2021.

In 2025, the city had 26 unmanageable encampments where staff used an on-call contractor to remove nearly 200,000 pounds of waste at a cost of $173,329, Donati told the council.

“An on-call contract is important to have in place to clean up quickly and keep our staff on their regular duties,” Donati said.

The 26 cleanups were at 19 sites, with return visits to several of the locations, many of them in city-owned wooded areas. Donati said three of the cleanups last year were in different sections of McSorley Creek on the West Hill near Pacific Highway South, with more than 40,000 pounds of debris removed.

Other encampments with large amounts of trash included spots along Veteran’s Drive, with one cleanup of 23,000 pounds; Mill Creek Canyon; Riverview Park, which is next to the Green River; and along South 277th Street.

The contract covers city public works and park properties. The city will cover the costs through its drainage utility fund, solid waste fund, capital project fund or the Parks Department, depending on the location of the encampment.

“The number of encampments fluctuates, but overall it has been similar the last six years,” Donati said in an email.

Prior to removal of the trash, city staff contacts people living in the encampments.

“They are notified prior to the cleanup and offered services,” Donati said in an email. “The majority decline services and leave behind what they do not want.”