Rules Committee recommends ordinance assigning Public Works to provide administrative support for new Sanitation and Streets department

The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on May 9 unanimously recommended an ordinance that would require the Department of Public Works to provide specified administrative support to the new Sanitation and Streets (SAS) department and to incorporate Form 700 filing requirements for the department’s commissioners.

The ordinance implements Proposition B, the 2020 charter amendment that split Public Works into separate operations and SAS functions and created a five-member commission to oversee SAS. Rachel Alonzo, project director in the City Administrator’s Office, told the committee Prop B passed Nov. 3, 2020, with 61% of the vote and that charter section 4.138(d) requires the Board to adopt an ordinance by the transfer date to set how shared administrative services will be provided to SAS. "Prop B prohibits the new SAS department from having these 8 named admin functions for its first 2 years," Alonzo said, describing the charter’s timing and limits and noting the earliest date for transfer of admin functions is Oct. 1, 2024.

Alonzo told the committee the ordinance before it largely codifies existing practice by directing Public Works to provide most of the named administrative functions, and reflects a pending mayoral budget request to transfer HR, training and employee safety functions to Public Works. Bruce Robertson, deputy director of finance and administration at Public Works, answered questions about hiring and classification processes and said he would follow up with the city human-resources office about certification and testing details.

Chair Aaron Peskin framed the item in the context of reforms prompted by earlier corruption at Public Works, referencing the "revelations of the corruption of the then head of public works, Mohammed Nuru" as part of the rationale for Prop B. The committee took public comment — callers included David Pilpel and others — and then voted to forward the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation. A roll call recorded aye votes from Supervisor Connie Chan, Vice Chair Rafael Mandelman and Chair Peskin.

The ordinance also incorporates campaign and governmental conduct code changes requiring the new commissioners to file statements of economic interest (Form 700) and assigns disclosure category 1 (broad disclosure of income, interests and positions). The City Administrator’s Office said a companion code clean-up ordinance is expected later this year to update cross-references such as illegal dumping and graffiti enforcement language.

The Rules Committee’s recommendation means the ordinance will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda for possible action in mid-May as staff proceed with the Prop B implementation timeline.