The changes include adding 12 positions across Public Works and expanding contracted services for cleaning and landscaping, including at public libraries.
The Santa Monica City Council has approved a reorganization of the city’s Public Works Department that officials say will expand street cleaning, maintenance and landscaping services beyond the downtown area to commercial corridors across the city.
The changes are part of the city’s broader “Realignment Plan Update,” adopted this week, and extend a maintenance model introduced in downtown Santa Monica last year to other areas, including Montana Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, Main Street, Pico Boulevard and Ocean Park Boulevard.
City officials said the expanded services will include more frequent pressure washing of sidewalks and public spaces, increased street cleaning, sidewalk repairs and additional landscaping and tree trimming.
Mayor Caroline Torosis said the goal is to apply the same level of maintenance seen downtown to other parts of the city.
Under the reorganization, the city will also create a new division combining downtown and beach maintenance operations. In addition, Santa Monica’s 311 customer service system — which handles a majority of Public Works-related service requests — will be moved into the department to improve coordination, according to city officials.
The restructuring also shifts the city’s Mobility Division from the Department of Transportation into Public Works Engineering, consolidating planning, construction and maintenance of public right-of-way projects under one department.
City officials said the changes include adding 12 positions across Public Works and expanding contracted services for cleaning and landscaping, including at public libraries.
The expansion builds on work completed downtown, where the city reported tree trimming and planting, sidewalk repairs and increased debris collection in recent months.
