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Environment seeks $3M in impound funds; Public Works pushes a pilot to replace street trash cans
Summary
City departments presented impound account budget requests: the Environment Department requested roughly $3 million in additional impound funding for new staff and programs, Public Works proposed a targeted trash‑can procurement pilot (RFP up to $9M) and the refuse rate administrator asked for one FTE to reduce consultant costs; board requested more disaggregated details and documentation.
The board heard Item 4, departmental impound account requests, with the refuse rate administrator, Public Works and the Department of the Environment laying out how the impound fund supports street cleanliness, outreach, and diversion programs.
Jay Liao, refuse rate administrator, said his office is requesting one new full‑time equivalent position to reduce reliance on consultants and temporary staff during the rate‑setting year and reminded the board that the office performs rate monitoring, hearings logistics and public engagement tied to Prop 218 mailers.
Rachel Gordon, director of policy and communications for Public Works, outlined how the city currently spends approximately $12.5 million annually from the impound account on litter patrol, outreach and enforcement, mechanical sweeping and trash‑can maintenance. Gordon described an earlier pilot and recommended a new "slim silhouette" trash can model; staff plan an RFP with a not‑to‑exceed $9 million procurement (installation costs excluded) to buy as many as 3,000 new cans over multiple years (500 in year 1, 1,000 in year 2 and 1,500 in year 3) at a target per‑can price of about $3,000. Gordon said the city also has $15 million in impound fund balance that Public Works would like to apply to new cans as a one‑time use that would not affect rates.
Leo Chi, deputy director and chief administrative officer at the Department of the Environment, asked the board to consider a roughly $3 million annual increase in impound support. Chi said about $2 million of the request is personnel costs for six new positions tied to deconstruction, reuse and circular‑economy initiatives, with the remaining roughly $1 million covering professional services, grants and program costs (he cited a $200,000 annual deconstruction allocation and about $400,000 in grant increases). Chi and Environment staff framed the request as part of meeting city and state mandates, including the Climate Action Plan and SB 1383 obligations to expand organics recovery and markets for composted material.
Board members asked for more detailed, line‑item documentation tying new positions to measurable outcomes and asked the refuse rate administrator to work with the departments to disaggregate the $3 million request before the next hearing. No action was taken at this meeting.
