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Rules Committee backs charter measure to create Department of Sanitation and Streets
Summary
The Rules Committee voted to recommend a charter amendment to create a Department of Sanitation and Streets and new oversight commissions, citing oversight and accountability concerns; Supervisor Catherine Stephanie dissented, citing costs and timing amid a large budget shortfall.
The Rules Committee voted July 13 to recommend a charter amendment that would create a Department of Sanitation and Streets to assume some duties now performed by the Department of Public Works, establish a Sanitation and Streets Commission and a Public Works Commission, and require annual performance and cost-and-waste audits. The measure would go to the November 3, 2020 ballot for voter approval.
Sponsor Supervisor Matt Haney said the proposal is the product of nearly a year of work with stakeholders and DPW employees and was intended to improve both "clean government and clean streets." Haney told the committee that amendments and a controller's letter had reduced the project's estimated cost, quoting figures in the presentation as "2,500,000.0 at the low end, up to 6," and said the charter amendment would carry no departmental cost for the next two fiscal years.
Vice Chair Supervisor Catherine Stephanie said she supported the goal of cleaner streets and more accountability but opposed creating a second department and additional management layers during a severe budget shortfall. "I find it hard to believe that what we need most is more managers or IT, HR, or finance professionals," she said, adding that the city faces an estimated $2,000,000,000 budget gap over the next two years.
Committee Chair Supervisor Hillary Ronan moved the item to the full Board as a committee report. The clerk recorded Supervisor Stephanie voting No and Supervisor Mar (Gordon Marr) and Chair Ronan voting in favor; the committee recommendation passed with Supervisor Stephanie dissenting in committee.
If approved by voters, the charter amendment would change departmental structure, create two oversight commissions, and require the controller to produce regular performance and cost-and-waste analyses; the measure also confirms the planning department's CEQA determination. The Board of Supervisors will consider the committee report at the next Board meeting.
