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DPW proposes modest overall increase; committee questions new storekeeper role and large transfers into flexible spending accounts
Summary
Director Jorge Jaime presented a proposed Department of Public Works budget with a small net increase. Councilors asked about a new storekeeper post created from a vacant deputy slot, changes to purchase-of-services accounting, and sanitation/recycling costs, which have risen despite recycling goals.
Director Jorge Jaime presented the Department of Public Works (DPW) proposed fiscal 2026 budget on May 29, describing a modest department-level increase and several internal reorganizations. The department’s total proposed operating budget rose slightly from last year; Jaime described the request as balanced to address the city’s growth in buildings, parks and infrastructure.
A notable personnel change is the department’s plan to eliminate one deputy-director position and reallocate funds to create a storekeeper post to better track equipment and inventory at the city yard. Jaime said the storekeeper will log tools, manage parts and reduce waste and missing equipment. Jaime also said a manager of finance/administrative services position has been formalized to provide in-department finance oversight.
Councilor Marmol asked whether the storekeeper role was a response to missing equipment and asked for any documentation of prior losses; Jaime said the hire is intended to prevent loss and track inventory but reported no recurring large-scale losses in recent years. Councilors also questioned a transfer of roughly $159,000 from professional services into “other purchase services” in the Police Department example; Acting CAFO Ramona Ceballos explained the accounting practice: transfers within the purchase-of-services object code allow departments more flexibility, while transfers to/from professional services require council approval and remain subject to oversight.
Sanitation and recycling costs drew attention: Jaime noted recycling-disposal and collection contracts and state-mandated recycling regulations drive higher costs despite increased resident participation. The committee asked for more detail on recycling program metrics, contamination rates, and the coordinator’s outreach activity; Jaime said the recycling team has delivered thousands of home recycling bins and performs route-level contamination checks. Parking and the Parking Enterprise Fund were discussed separately; the parking budget increased to reflect higher revenues and a pension assessment reallocated to the enterprise fund.
The committee requested follow-up items including inventory-control policies for DPW yards, documentation for the new finance-manager position (ordinance/role description), recycling program performance metrics, and vehicle-condition reports for fleet and marked police units.
