Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: JANUARY 21, 2025
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: STEPHEN BISE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
PREPARED BY: STEPHEN BISE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
JEROME JOAQUIN, ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
SUBJECT: STREET SWEEPING OPERATION AND IMPLEMENTATION ALTERNATIVES
SUMMARY
Revisit street sweeping operation and seek direction on preferred implementation alternative.
PROPOSED MOTION
Maintain previously approved bi-weekly, alternating sides of street operation and authorize staff to replace street sweeping parking restriction signs using contracted labor. Reinitiate enforcement after all signs installed. Issue warnings during first month of enforcement prior to issuing citations.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Approve the Proposed Motion.
Maintain previously approved bi-weekly, alternating sides of street operation and authorize staff to replace street sweeping parking restriction signs using in-house labor. Reinitiate enforcement after all signs installed. Issue warnings during first month of enforcement prior to issuing citations.
Reinstate parking enforcement until street sweeping contract amendment complete and sign replacement begins.
Other options brough by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
None.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Fiscal and Organization Stability
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
Modified sweeping operation would impact street sweeping contract costs, potentially saving $185,000 Sanitation Fund (Fund 23) costs annually.
The City would incur one time sign replacement costs, ranging from $375,000 to $911,000, depending on the option chosen. Staff requests funding these additional costs with the General Fund (Fund 10) and then reimburse the General Fund with the Sanitation Fund over time. Costs include signage production, materials, equipment and installation. Staff developed options to replace signage in-house or outsource. The following details these options:
Option 1a. In-House Straight Time (Part-Time): Sign production costs would require additional budget appropriation with sign installation labor cost appropriated in the Department adopted budget.
Option 1b. In-House Straight Time (Full-Time): Sign production would require additional budget with sign installation labor cost appropriated in the Department adopted budget.
Option 2. In-House Overtime Time: the Department does not have appropriation for sign production and installation in the FY 2024-25 budget and would require additional budget appropriation.
Option 3. Outsource: the Department does not have appropriation for sign production and installation appropriated in the FY 2024-25 budget and both would require additional budget appropriation.
Staff included cost breakdowns for each option in the discussion section of this report. Staff would bring back budget appropriation requests depending on which option City Council chooses.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The City street sweeping contractor, Sweeping Corporations of America (SCA), provides citywide street sweeping services and is in the sixth year of its seven-year contract with the City. Street sweeping is essential for the City Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) to prevent pollutants and contaminants from entering the stormwater system. Vehicles parked in the street sweeper path hinder cleaning and can lead to noncompliance with the NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. The City installed “No Parking - Street Sweeping” signage in 2023 and contracted with SP+ to assist with parking enforcement to address this issue.
The City initiated street sweeping parking enforcement In August 2023, issuing warnings for five weeks followed by citations in September 2023.
Data on street sweeping parking citations shows a notable increase in citations due to expanded enforcement, particularly in the south side of the City which has a higher multifamily housing concentration. However, citation frequencies steadily declined, indicating progressive compliance with street sweeping parking regulations, as shown in the following.
Street sweepers schedule their routes by tract, which may eliminate convenient places for residents to park during street sweeping operations. Staff received several complaints indicating, “there is nowhere to go” during the scheduled street sweeping, which may create a burden for residents with limited on-site or alternative parking options.
Staff presented street sweeping operation alternatives to City Council on May 7, 2024 along with a Street Sweeping Program overview, federal and state requirements and a street sweeping parking enforcement activities update. City Council approved changing the street sweeping operation to bi-weekly alternating sides of the streets on August 6, 2024. Staff presented options for sign replacement to City Council on August 20, 2024. City Council requested information on a decal / overlay option and suspended street sweeping parking enforcement.
Public Works and Police Department staff received numerous complaints regarding streets not receiving proper sweeping service due to parked cars impeding the sweeper, attributed to the absence of enforcement.
Operation Alternatives
The following summarizes operation alternatives presented to City Council:
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS AND IMPACTS
Options
Operational
Cost
Regulation
Current Operation:
Weekly Sweeping with Parking Enforcement
Weekly Street Sweeping by SCA
Parking Citation by SP+
$800,000 current annual sweeping contract
$165,296 SP+ annual cost on sweeping citation
Compliance with NPDES MS4 Permit
Alt No. 1:
Weekly Sweeping without Parking Enforcement
No Parking Enforcement
No change in weekly sweeping
Manual cleaning of storm drains due to lack of enforcement $800,000 annual sweeping contract
Additional cost to clean storm drains due to lack of enforcement NPDES potential violation
Alt No. 2:
Biweekly Street Sweeping Operation
Sweeping every other week
Parking Citation by SP+
32% decrease from current cost of annual sweeping contract - $545,000 One-time cost for sign replacement
$165,296 SP+ annual cost on sweeping citation
Compliance with NPDES MS4 Permit
Alt No. 3:
Alternating Street Sweeping Operation
Alternating Street Sweeping Operation
Parking Citation by SP+
One-time Sign Replacement
Coordination with Solid Waste Hauler’s Routes
15% increase from current cost of annual sweeping contract - $938,000 One-time cost for sign replacement
$165,296 SP+ annual cost on sweeping citation
Compliance with NPDES MS4 Permit
Alt No. 4
Bi-weekly Alternating Street Sweeping Operations
Bi-weekly Alternating Street Sweeping Operation
Parking Citation by SP+
One-time Sign Replacement
Coordination with Solid Waste Hauler’s Routes
23% decrease from current cost of annual sweeping contract - $615,000 One-time cost for sign replacement
$165,296 SP+ annual cost on sweeping citation
Compliance with NPDES MS4 Permit
Implementing Alternatives 2 through 4 requires updating signage to reflect new operation and parking restrictions. The following provides the estimated cost and schedule to replace signage.
Sign Production:
The City has approximately 5,000 street sweeping signs installed throughout the City. The City installed signage on only one side of the street In certain areas due to resident concerns about the visual and aesthetic impact on their neighborhood. The new biweekly, alternating street sweeping schedule necessitates posting these signs and posts to ensure compliance. Staff estimates it would need to install an additional 1,000 signs to cover these areas adequately.
The sign panels would be fabricated from durable, corrosion resistant aluminum materials, featuring a reflective engineer-grade finish to ensure visibility both day and night. Mounting the signs would require poles, rivets, and anchors. Additionally, some areas would require relocating existing signs to enhance visibility.
Sign panels production would take approximately four months to complete, with an estimated $375,000. This investment would ensure all areas of the City have proper marking for a new street sweeping schedule, assisting residents to comply and improve street sweeping operation effectiveness.
Sign Installation:
A crew of two to three employees installed the current street sweeping signage and took approximately four years to complete. This city-wide initiative required significant effort and added responsibility to maintenance staff day-to-day operations. Staff proposes four sign installation options: in-house performed at straight time (part time), in-house performed at straight time (full time), in-house performed at overtime and outsourced.
Option 1a: In-house Sign Installation, Straight Time Rate (Part Time):
This option follows the recent sign-installation approach that took approximately four years to complete. Staff calculated the in-house costs to install signs and notes this effort would require diverting street maintenance staff from regular duties. A two-person street maintenance staff crew would shift and dedicate a portion normal operations (approximately two to three hours per day) to street sweeping sign installation for the next three years. Staff anticipates this loss of labor resource from Street Maintenance day-to-day operations would incur overtime activities during the installation process. In addition, this prolonged process would incur Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase in materials, equipment and labor over the course of three years. Staff estimates installation to take approximately 36 months to complete with costs appropriated in the Department operating budget.
In-House Cost
Duration
Est. Cost
Sign Production
4 months
$375,000
Sign Installation
36 months
Budgeted
Total:
40 months
$375,000
Option 1b: In-house Sign Installation, Straight Time Rate (Full Time):
The Department could reassign and dedicate two Landscape Maintenance Division staff to work on this project. However, this would directly impact landscape maintenance frequency for approximately 18 months. This approach could incur overtime activities due to the loss of two dedicated maintenance staff, similar to option 1a. Staff estimates installation would take 18 months to complete with costs appropriated in the Department operating budget.
In-House Cost
Duration
Est. Cost
Sign Production
4 months
$375,000
Sign Installation
18 months
Budgeted
Total:
22 months
$375,000
Option 2: In-house Sign Installation, Over Time Rate:
Staff calculated the in-house costs to install signs at overtime rates. The City would allocate additional employees to assist and expedite installation, effectively halving the installation time. Two crews would mobilize on weekends to remove and install signs. This effort would take an estimated 18 months to complete, with a projected $370,000 cost. The Department operating budget does not have appropriation for installation at overtime rates.
In-House Cost
Duration
Est. Cost
Sign Production
4 months
$375,000
Sign Installation
18 months
$370,000
Total:
22 months
$745,000
Option 3: Out-Source Sign Installation:
Staff asked contractors for sign installation project estimates and estimated the labor for sign removal and installation would cost approximately $536,000. Contractors indicated the project would take approximately eight months to complete. Outsourcing installation to experienced professionals with staff availability provides a more precise timeline and ensures that the work is completed efficiently, minimizing disruption to City operations.
Out-Source Cost
Duration
Est. Cost
Sign Production
4 months
$375,000
Sign Installation
8 months
$536,000
Total:
12 months
$911,000
Summary
The following summarizes the options:
Sign Panel Options
Duration
Est. Cost
1a: In-house straight time (part time)
40 months
$375,000
1b: In-house straight time (full time)
23 months
$375,000
2: In-house overtime
23 months
$745,000
3: Out-sourced
12 months
$911,000
Sign Decal / Overlay Production and Installation:
The material cost for a decal / overlay option totals approximately $160,000 to cover all material for 5,000 decals / overlays on existing panels and 1,000 new signposts / panels.
Staff determined applying decals would require the same time and effort as replacing signs, as installation requires removing existing sleeves to ensure proper decal. Additionally, staff observed significant fading and deterioration after two years, based on previous experience with decals used to modify parking signs, resulting in decals blending into the sign, causing confusion for drivers and inability to enforce. The following summarizes additional budget required and anticipated schedule to install decals:
Decal Options
Duration
Est. Cost
1a: In-house straight time (part time)
40 months
$160,000*
1b: In-house straight time (full time)
23 months
$160,000*
2: In-house overtime
23 months
$529,000*
3: Outsourced
12 months
$696,000*
*Initial additional budget required. Staff anticipates approximately $150,000 to $300,000 reoccurring costs to remove and replace decals every two years.
Staff struggled to obtain quotes for the decals due to the non-typical nature of the request. Vendors refused to warranty the decals / overlays due to direct conflict with the OL 1000 Anti-Graffiti Coating on existing signs (Attachment 3 – Avery Dennison Letter).
Staff does not recommend using decals, stickers or overlays on street sweeping signs based on these findings.
Enforcement
Suspended enforcement would continue until the City replaced all signage implementing any change in operation Staff believes alternating street sweeping operations on a biweekly schedule would alleviate the burden on residents and businesses with limited parking options. However, this new schedule could initially cause confusion among residents and businesses, particularly during the early stages of implementation. Therefore, staff recommends issuing warnings for the first four weeks once enforcement resumes.
Conclusion
The street sweeping program has operated since 1980, providing an effective method for stormwater regulation compliance —a practice widely adopted by cities across California. Transitioning from weekly to biweekly street sweeping operations would maintain compliance with stormwater regulations while offering parking relief to residents impacted by street sweeping enforcement.
The Sanitation Fund (Fund 23) supports street sweeping expenses. However, this fund is restricted to existing street and landscape maintenance needs and has a limited annual appropriation, while costs for materials, equipment and labor continue to rise.
Staff recommends out-sourcing sign installation to facilitate enforcement with the new bi-weekly alternating sides of the street operation. While it is the highest cost option, it would complete the project faster. This option would allow enforcement to commence sooner, resulting in increased operation effectiveness and partial cost recovery through net citation revenue. Any prolonged option would result in potential ineffective sweeping and delayed cost recovery for the project / operation. Any in-house option impacts maintenance services within the Streets and/or Landscape Maintenance Divisions.
Staff recommends funding associated costs through the General Fund (Fund 10). This approach would ensure continued street sweeping program effectiveness and provide financial resources to implement the new sweeping operation.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Power Point Presentation
Attachment 2 – Option 1a, 1b, 2 – In-House Sign Panel or Decal Installation Cost Attachment 3 – Option 3 – Out-sourced Sign Panel Installation Cost Attachment 4 – Avery Dennison Decal Letter
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Street Sweeping Operation and Implementation Alternatives January 21, 2025 - Page 2