Public Works

22NPWW_web_banner_851x315.jpg

National Public Works Week

May 21-27, 2023

APWA is proud to announce "Connecting the World Through Public Works" as the theme for the 2023 National Public Works Week poster. This year’s poster illustrates how public works connects us all through infrastructure and service, enhancing the quality of life for the communities these professionals serve.

Welcome to the Public Works Department.  We are responsible for Alameda’s public infrastructure, including assessment districts; integrated waste; streets; sewers; storm drains; sidewalks; street trees; traffic striping, signals, and systems; urban forest; and public facilities and fleet.

Department Head

Erin Smith

Erin Smith

Erin brings over 10 years of progressively responsible experience planning, designing and delivering high quality public works services. Most recently serving as the department’s Deputy Director, she is well positioned to effectively steward Alameda’s public infrastructure and, ultimately, improve quality of life for Alamedans.

CITY OF ALAMEDA LOGO - with out black ring.png

              

Mission Statement

 

 

 

Our mission: Steward the City’s public infrastructure and environment in a manner that contributes to Alameda’s livability and sustainability.

Our vision: Alameda is the best performing, most talented, and efficient Public Works department in the Bay Area.

Our values:

  • “Together, we go further.”

Collaboration and cooperation among our staff and with other departments helps us have more fun, create better ideas, and serve more Alamedans. Involvement of key partners and stakeholders helps us correct flaws in our work, improve our service, and promote transparency.

  • Safety

We believe the safety of the public, and our staff, is paramount.

  • Integrity

We are honest and ethical with each other and the public.

  • Service

We exist to serve the public and one another. Excellent service is responsive, transparent, efficient, and results-oriented.

  • Innovation and growth

Solutions to the adversity we experience will come through empowering staff to thinking differently and constantly grow.

Clean Water Program

With the Clean Water Program, the City is committed to providing Alameda residents and businesses practical solutions to help reduce stormwater pollution. Learn more here.

Zero Waste Program and Services

The City is a leader in recycling and composting, from passing new initiatives to providing resources for residents and businesses to contribute. Learn more about what the City is doing and how you can help here.

Earth Day

Please click here for more information about Earth Day. 

City Projects

Learn about projects happening all around the city here.

Annual Reports

To view a user-guided 2014-15 Annual Report that takes about 10 minutes, click here.

To view a more in-depth 2014-15 Annual Report with voice-over that is 23 minutes, click here.

The Maintenance Services Division works together with other Public Works divisions to maintain the following:

  • City vehicles maintenance
  • Facilities
  • Fleets
  • Graffiti abatement
  • Parking meters
  • Sewers
  • Storm drainage
  • Streets and sidewalks
  • Street lighting
  • Street signs and striping
  • Street sweeping and signs
  • Street trees and medians
  • Traffic signals 

To report a maintenance problem, please call: (510) 747-7900.

Click here for the street sweeping schedule, Street Sweeping Program

Click here

No-Parking Permit Application:  Click here(PDF, 463KB)

Applications, Payments and Inquiries:

  • Submit applications, small documents (under 20 MB), and inquiries to PWpermits@alamedaca.gov .  For large documents, you will be instructed as to how to upload them.
  • Submit credit card payments via ePermits, click here .
  • Submit requests to pay by alternative means to Permits@alamedaca.gov

Standard Details and Design Guidance: 

Public Right of Way:

Outdoor Retail, Services and Dining:

On-site Development:

Click here to access page

Click here to access page

To learn more about the City's Urban Forest, click here.

To inquire about the City trees currently being removed and/or to view the arborist reports, click here.

To see a map of Alameda's trees, click here and zoom to level 18 or higher so that the tree icons appear.

 

Private Sewer Lateral

Alameda is part of the EBMUD Regional Private Sewer Lateral Program. Learn what that means here.

Sewer and Stormwater Fees

Information on Sewer Fees and Storm Water Fees are below.

 Sewer charges.png

 Revised Storm Water Fee II.JPG

For more information please see this Frequently Asked Questions information at:
https://www.alamedaca.gov/GOVERNMENT/FAQs/Water-Quality-and-Flood-Protection-Fee-FAQ

We rely on community partners to help identify issues and develop solutions. Below is a partial list of organizations that we regularly partner with:

  • Alameda County Transportation Commission
  • Alameda Architectural Preservation Society
  • Alameda County Clean Water Program
  • Alameda County Industries
  • Alameda Raptor Society
  • Alameda Point Collaborative
  • Alameda Unified School District
  • AC Transit
  • American Public Works Association 
  • Alameda West Lagoon Homeowners Association
  • Bay Conservation Development Commission 
  • Bike Walk Alameda
  • Caltrans
  • Chamber of Commerce
  • Community of Harbor Bay Isles
  • Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda
  • Downtown Alameda Business Association
  • East Bay Regional Park District
  • East Bay Municipal Utility District
  • Greater Alameda Business Association
  • Harbor Bay Business Park
  • Marina Village Business Park
  • Metropolitan Transportation Commission
  • PG&E
  • Port of Oakland
  • Sierra Club
  • SF Bay Regional Coastal Hazard Adaptation Resiliency Group (CHARG)
  • Stopwaste
  • West Alameda Business Association

Public Works Key Documents

  Standards

Guidelines

 Capital Budgets

Plans

(The other appendices are larger printouts of the maps in the storm drain master plan, or are profiles of individual storm drains.  These are available upon request.)

(Appendices A,B,C,E and F are technical printouts and photos.  These are available upon request.)

Policies

Other Key Documents

In the 1950’s, the Utah Corporation created five connected lagoons along the southwest shoreline of Alameda, between the original coast and the new South Shore Development.

The South Shore Lagoon system brings in salt-water from the San Francisco Bay and supports diverse wildlife.

Although the lagoons are privately owned and can be used for recreational uses by the adjacent property owners and members of the Alameda West Lagoon Homeowners' Association (AWLHOA), the lagoon system is also a storm drainage retention and treatment pond for portions of Alameda Island.

The South Shore Lagoon system is divided into segments:
  • Lagoon 1: Westline to Grand
  • Lagoon 2: Grand to Willow
  • Lagoon 3: Willow to Park
  • Lagoon 4: Park to Broadway
  • Lagoon 5: Broadway to Court

lagoons_base_map-01.jpg

Lagoon Maintenance
To view the North Shore Dock spec and South Dock Spec drawings, click here.
 
The lagoons are drained once a year in order to perform annual maintenance work.  This year Maintenance staff will perform cleaning, filming, and grouting of joints on stormwater mains that discharge into the lagoons.

 

The planned schedule for 2023 is:

  • Monday, September 25, 2023:  start lowering lagoons
  • Monday, October 30, 2023:  start refilling lagoons

If debris and plant matter are collected during this maintenance period, please place the material in sturdy garbage bags and place at curbside. Public Works provides weekly curbside pickup. 

Water Quality

The Public Works Departments and the AWLHOA are jointly responsible for maintaining the water quality.  Inspection and debris removal is performed weekly.  Water quality of the lagoons is monitored through use of indicator bacteria.  You can view test results on the AWLHOA  

To control algal blooms and widgeon grass, aquatic pesticide treatments are applied under the regulatory authority of the Regional Water Board.  Here is the City’s notice of intent(PDF, 89KB) per the Statewide General National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit for Residual Aquatic Pesticide Discharges to Waters of the United States from Algae and Aquatic Weed Control Application. The City’s Aquatic Pesticide Application Plan(PDF, 1MB) (APAP) describes the project site, aquatic plant and algae nuisances, aquatic pesticide products expected to be used, the monitoring program, and Best Management Practices to be followed.  The use of aquatic pesticides within the Alameda Lagoons is necessary to manage the lake and maintain the beneficial uses that include storm water retention, fishing, swimming, boating, aesthetics, and a habitat and resting place for waterfowl and migratory birds.

To submit a comment, question or service request on any of the lagoons within this system, please do so here.

_lagoon004.jpg

Erin Smith
Public Works Director
Phone:  (510) 747-7938
Email:  esmith@alamedaca.gov

Liz Acord
Public Works Coordinator
Phone:  (510) 747-7957
Email:  lacord@alamedaca.gov
Key Programs:  Special Districts, Parking, Budget, Environmental Services

Pat Papalagi
Maintenance Supervisor
Phone:  (510) 747-7924
Email:  ppapalagi@alamedaca.gov
Key Programs:  Sewer Maintenance, Pump Stations, Lagoon Maintenance, Urban Runoff, Pavement, Sidewalk, Landscape, Paint, Street Signage, Street Sweeping

Ricardo De La Torre
Maintenance Supervisor
Phone:  (510) 747-7923
Email:  rdelatorre@alamedaca.gov
Key Programs:  Facility Maintenance, Electrical - Signals, Street Lights, Doolittle Landfill, Parking Meters

Carlo Balboni
Fleet Services Supervisor
Phone:  (510) 747-7994
Email:  cbalboni@alamedaca.gov
Key Program:  Fleet Maintenance

General Information / Customer Service
Phone:  (510) 747-7900
Email:  pw@alamedaca.gov

Contact Us

Phone

510-747-7900

Email

pw@alamedaca.gov

Location

City Hall West
950 W. Mall Square, Suite 110
Alameda
94501
View Map

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday:
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

 

Friday:
By phone only 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

 

*Please note our physical office is not open on Friday. 

Schedule an Appointment

We encourage you to contact our office at (510) 747-7930 to schedule an appointment prior to coming in. This will ensure our staff will be available to assist you upon arrival.

Submit a Service Request

Please use SeeClickFix to submit service requests and report quality-of-life issues. You can also download the mobile app via the links below.

Submit Request

 Start Here.JPG

Download App

New Updates

The City of Alameda is updating its Climate Action Plan.  Click on button for more information.

Climate Action & Resiliency Plan

Flood Maps

New Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood insurance rate maps may affect you. Click here to Learn more.

Prepare for Storm Season

The Bay Area’s storm season runs from November – March. The severity of flooding depends on many things. Learn more about preparing for storm season, click here.

Street Sweeping Program

Click here to learn about our street sweeping program.

Auto Parking Program

Alameda parking logo


Back to top