Public Works managers told the council that the department has uploaded major systems — including drainage and the streetlight inventory — into the city asset-management platform and is training crews to use tablets for maintenance routing, but that proposed staffing reductions and shifting funding streams will constrain operations.

A department representative said drainage and streetlight systems are now in asset management and that the city plans to link a new 311 system (ClickFix) to the asset database for public reporting by March 2026. The representative said the department is seeking additional staff for sign and signal shops and wants to consolidate the signal and sign shops into a single maintenance campus to improve efficiency.

Council members and staff discussed cash flow for ongoing work tied to the JIRR program and other capital projects. The department said it relies on advances from GOSEP (a state funding source cited in testimony) to maintain vendor payments with high monthly burn rates on the roads program; a $120 million advance was referenced as the last received and a new advance request was under review.

Public Works also asked the council to press other agencies to comply with an existing ordinance requiring neighborhood notice for street closures (Section 146-37). Councilmember Harris said that notices and applicant contact information are not consistently posted for closures and asked when the department would be compliant.

The department warned that proposed reductions in personnel and other operating funds would increase 311 response times, reduce sidewalk and curb work and limit concrete and asphalt operations. Officials urged the council and the next administration to consider the departmentto restore staffing so crews can meet service expectations.