Department of Public Works
The mission of the Department of Public Works is to operate and maintain infrastructure and facilities, provide superior services for our customers, and promote environmental sustainability.
Public Works Is...
The City's largest department with a total FY 2025 combined General and Water/Sewer Fund budget of $122,407,479.
It accounts for 91% of the Water/Sewer Fund
and 15% of the General Fund.
About Public Works
The Department of Public Works (DPW) provides a wide array of important City services, including recycling and solid waste collection; treatment and distribution of high-quality drinking water; collection and treatment of sewage; storm water management; sweeping of all City streets; street paving and repairs; maintenance of traffic signs and signals; snow removal; and maintenance of the City fleet and City properties.
DPW consists of the following major areas:
Administrative Services - responsible for fleet maintenance, customer service, procurement, and departmental financial management and accounting.
Engineering - supports other divisions within DPW, providing document management; mapping and analysis; and overseeing construction projects for street repairs.
Transportation - responsible for transportation policy and planning, coordinating transportation infrastructure projects with other government agencies, and maintaining all City-owned street signs, traffic signals, pavement markings and streetlights.
Operations - responsible for residential curbside refuse and recycling collections, street cleaning, yard waste collections, bulk trash pickup, snow removal, and lawn care not assigned to parks.
Water/Sewer - responsible for providing residents with clean, safe drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater.
Year-to-Date Expenditures by Division*
*Move the slider at the bottom of the graph to see budget and prior-year data.
Year-to-Date Expenditures by Category*
*Move the slider at the bottom of the graph to see budget and prior-year data.
How Many People Work for the Department of Public Works?
Capital projects are part of the City's Capital Improvements Program (CIP), a six-year plan for the purchase of permanent assets, such as property, equipment, and public infrastructure. DPW is in charge of many important projects that are necessary to maintain and improve the City's transportation infrastructure and traffic systems; public buildings; drinking water systems; and wastewater management systems.
Public Works Strategic Plan
Citywide Goal: Embrace a Culture of Service
Objective: Respond to All Strategic Plan Service Requests Received by Constituents within the Time Frame Specified for Each Category Listed Below
Total Number of Strategic Plan Service Requests Received by Public Works in FY 2024
Public Works FY 2025 Annual Budget
Total FY 2025 General Fund Budget: $29,436,970
Total FY 2024 General Fund Budget: $28,564,575
Total Increase from FY 2024: $872,395
a
Major Funding Changes from Prior Year:
Personal Services, an account group that includes salaries and benefits, remained essentially flat, decreasing by about $6,000 or -0.1%.
- In Personal Services, three vacant positions (one of which is split-funded 50% with the Water/Sewer fund) were eliminated for a savings of $218,615. The three positions eliminated were the ITMS Senior Technician, General Laborer II, and Construction Inspector (split 50% with the Water/Sewer fund).
- These savings were offset by the introduction of a citywide new classification and compensation system, anniversary step increases for Local 302 and 1102 union employees, mandated step increases for non-union classified staff, and mandatory yearly reviews for executive and managerial employees, resulting in an increase of $206,330.
The Materials Supplies & Equipment (MS&E) account group increased by a net $421,944, largely because of the following changes:
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Repairs to Buildings and Structures increased by $342,500 due to the new annual contract agreement with Asset Management. This agreement will provide property management and repair services, recommend needed capital improvements, and conduct preventative maintenance of the Municipal Services Complex—William G. Turner Jr. Building. This increase is offset by a $133,500 decrease to Repairs to Equipment and Janitorial Services, also due to the new contract.
- Landfill Fees and the Recycle Bank Program were decreased by a combined $218,187 due to reduced tonnage delivered to the landfill with fewer people working from home fulltime and the divergence of 90% of yard waste to Holland Mulch, Inc. for composting.
Click here to learn more about the Public Works FY 2025 Budget.
Total FY 2025 Water/Sewer Fund Budget: $81,821,345
Total FY 2024 Water/Sewer Fund Budget: $76,958,051
Total Increase from FY 2024: $4,863,294
a
Major Funding Changes from Prior Year:
Personal Services, an account group that includes salaries and benefits, increased $406,308, largely due to the following:
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Staffing decreased by 0.50 FTE in the Water/Sewer Fund, with one split-funded Construction Inspector position eliminated, for a total savings of $34,666.
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Regular Salaries rose by $353,371, or 6.2%, due to implementing a new classification and compensation system, Local 320 and 1102 union employee anniversary step increases, mandatory step increases for non-union classified employees, and annual reviews for executive and managerial employees.
The Materials, Supplies & Equipment (MS&E) account group increased by a net $4,232,385, largely due to the following:
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Contracted Maintenance Services increased by $1,515,406, with nearly all the increase due to Jacobs's contract fee to operate and maintain the City's sewage treatment plant and manage the City's renewable energy bio-solids facility.
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Equipment repairs increased by $1,031,549 to replace pumps at the Brandywine Pumping Station and cover increased systemwide pump and valve maintenance program costs. In addition, Allied Control Systems’ price hike (from $375,000 to $550,000) to maintain the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was 47%.
Click here to learn more about the Public Works FY 2025 Budget.
