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DPW seeks funds for maintenance and cleaning; mayor says enhancements pending budget balance
Summary
DPW presented a $230 million budget and outlined capital projects and volunteer initiatives; proposed enhancements for landscape maintenance and enhanced cleaning (about $2.7 million total) were submitted as initiatives but not included in DPW's base submittal and await mayoral budget balancing.
The committee heard an update on the Department of Public Works budget on May 7, including DPW’s overview of core services, capital work and two proposed enhancement initiatives that are not yet included in the department’s base budget submission.
DPW Director Mohammed Nuru said the department’s budget is roughly $230,000,000 and that about 75 percent of funding comes from work orders, bonds and special funds. Nuru highlighted street‑sweeping, curb ramp construction, graffiti abatement and the second year of the Giant Sweep volunteer program, and noted major ongoing capital commitments including the new public safety building, SFGH-related work, and the Cruise Ship Terminal Phase 2.
Nuru identified proposed enhancements not included in DPW’s presented charts: approximately $1,100,000 for expanded landscape maintenance and about $1,600,000 to add 11 positions for enhanced street‑cleaning services (total roughly $2.7 million). He explained these were submitted as mayoral initiatives but not included in the department’s baseline charts.
Melissa Whitehouse, deputy budget director for the mayor’s office, said the mayor is supportive of DPW’s proposals in principle but that the city’s budget is not yet balanced and enhancements will be funded only if and when resources are available. "We're really supportive of all the things Mohammed is proposing. And then if we had the money, we would want to ... do all of them," she said.
Supervisors asked for additional detail on acreage and staffing impacts; DPW said it would follow up with figures and that the department met the mayor’s one‑percent general target through permit revenues and recoveries. Supervisors expressed support for maintaining greening and enhanced cleaning services and said they would seek funding either from the mayor’s proposed budget or at the Board level if needed.
DPW also described internal workforce investments, including creation of a DPW University for training and moving temporary positions into permanent roles where appropriate.
