Alameda County Municipal Code Ch. 2.46 Public Works Department

There is in the county a public works department, hereafter in this chapter referred to as the department.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.01)

The executive officer of the department is the director of public works. The director of public works shall be ex officio director of transportation and ex officio director of the Alameda County flood control and water conservation district. The director of public works shall be appointed by the board of supervisors in accordance with state laws governing such appointment. The director of public works shall exercise his/her powers and perform his/her duties, subject to the overall direction and supervision of the board of supervisors.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.02)

The director of public works shall have such qualifications as may be established by state law.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.03)

The department shall be organized into such operating divisions as are necessary to carry out the functions of the department. The director of public works shall have the power to assign and reassign duties and powers to heads of divisions, officers and employees, not inconsistent with the provisions of this code, the chapter or state law. The board of supervisors, upon the recommendation of the county administrator, may provide for the consolidation, segregation, addition or deletion of operating divisions.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.04)

The director of public works as ex officio director of transportation shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are prescribed by state law and by ordinance and directions of the board of supervisors. Such powers include, but not limited to:

A. Providing for coordinated planning and implementation of multimodal transportation systems within the county, including county roads and bridges, bikeways, guideways, access to rapid transit and air transport facilities, Federal Aid Urban and Federal Aid Secondary systems, state transportation systems and other transportation systems within the county, pursuant to Government Code Sections 65084 and 65085;

B. Directing and controlling all work on construction, maintenance and repair of roads and their appurtenant structures, highways, tunnels, viaducts, conduits, subways and bridges in the county road system, or otherwise in the jurisdiction of the board of supervisors;

C. Controlling and managing all county-owned or leased vehicles and equipment purchased or leased from highway users tax monies, rock quarries and gravel pits, stores and maintenance shops, and all other materials, property and instrumentalities necessary for and directly connected with the construction, maintenance and repair of roads and their appurtenant structures, highways, tunnels, viaducts, conduits, subways and bridges in the county road system, or otherwise in the jurisdiction of the board of supervisors;

D. Preparing a tentative road budget covering all proposed expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year of county road purposes, pursuant to the provisions of state law;

E. Granting easements, licenses or permits for use of any real property acquired for public highway purposes by the county to any county, city, district or public agency or corporation, or to any public utility corporation, in the manner and upon the terms and conditions he/she determines or prescribes, upon a finding by said officer that the conveyance is in the public interest and that the interest in land conveyed will not substantially conflict with the use of property by the county;

F. Leasing any real property acquired by the county for public highway purposes, or from road funds, for a renewable term not exceeding three years. Proceeds from the lease of the property shall be paid into the road fund. At least five working days prior to entering into a lease under this authority, a notice of intention to enter into lease shall be posted in a public place in the county. This authority shall be exercised in accordance with any resolutions heretofore or hereafter adopted by the board of supervisors setting forth procedures and policies for the lease of county property;

G. Performing any or all acts necessary to approve and accept for the county the acquisition of any interest in real property for public highway purposes, where the purchase price for such interest does not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). The exercise of this authority shall conform to the procedures and policies for real property acquisition programs adopted by the county board of supervisors on December 13, 1977, under Resolution No. 175811, and any other resolutions concerning real property acquisition hereafter adopted;

H. Performing any or all acts necessary to enter into an agreement for deferral of improvements to public streets, in the manner and upon terms and conditions that he/she determines or prescribes, upon a finding by said officer that the deferral of improvements is in the public interest and that the construction of such improvements shall be deferred until such time as said officer determines that it is in the public interest to construct such improvements where such improvements are a condition of approval of a tract map, parcel map, use permit or other change of land usage;

I. Making inspections of county highways and reporting to the sheriff and the health officer any unauthorized dumping or any other violation of the Alameda County waste disposal ordinance.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.05)

The surveyor, an officer of the county as so defined by state law, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as are prescribed by state law and ordinances not inconsistent therewith, which duties shall include, but not be limited to:

A. Make any survey that is required by order of the court, the board of supervisors, the director of public works, or upon application of any person;

B. Keep a correct and fair record of all surveys made;

C. When required, aiding and assisting the State Lands Commission in making surveys within the county;

D. At the cost of the party filing the map, copying, platting or tracing each map filed for record in the office of the recorder, except maps filed by a licensed land surveyor or registered civil engineer;

E. Platting, tracing, blueprinting or otherwise making county, road, district and other maps;

F. Making such surveys of county roads and performing such other engineering work as the board of supervisors directs;

G. Making detailed examinations of final subdivision, record of survey, and parcel maps and certify thereon that each is substantially the same as shown on the approved tentative map thereof;

H. Charging and collecting such fees as are allowed by law;

I. Serving as advisory member of the planning commission.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.06)

The director of public works shall, as the director of the Alameda County flood control and water conservation district, have all the powers and duties prescribed by district ordinance and state law.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.09)

A. The director of public works is authorized to perform any or all acts necessary to approve and accept for the Alameda County flood control and water conservation district the acquisition of any interest in real property where the purchase price for such interest does not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). The exercise of this authority shall require the prior approval of the engineer-manager and the chief right-of-way agent, and shall conform to the procedures concerning real property acquisition heretofore or hereafter adopted by resolutions of the board of supervisors of the Alameda County flood control and water conservation district.

B. The director of public works is authorized to grant or otherwise convey an easement, license, or permit for use of any real property of the Alameda County flood and water conservation district to the state, or to any county, city, district or public agency or corporation, or to any public utility corporation, in the manner and upon the terms and conditions the director of public works determines or prescribes upon his finding that the conveyance is in the public interest and that the interest in land conveyed will not substantially conflict with or interfere with the use of the property by the Alameda County flood control and water conservation district.

C. Leases or licenses of Alameda County flood control and water conservation district real property having a duration not exceeding five years and having an estimated monthly rental of not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) are excluded from the procedures required by Sections 25526 to 25535 of the Government Code. The director of public works is authorized to execute nonrenewal leases or licenses of Alameda County flood control and water conservation district real property where the actual monthly rental in the executed lease or license does not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and the term of the executed lease or license does not exceed five years. This authority shall be exercised in accordance with procedures concerning the leasing and/or licensing of Alameda County flood control and water conservation district real property heretofore and hereafter adopted by resolution of the district board of supervisors.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.095)

The director of public works shall have the following powers and duties.

A. To make continuing studies of county building needs;

B. To plan and design county buildings;

C. To plan and design park and recreation projects;

D. To supervise and inspect construction of county buildings;

E. To prepare and make estimates of costs of capital projects and departmental force account construction work;

F. To utilize the services of private architects and engineers as required.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.10)

The director of public works shall have the following powers and duties:

A. To provide property and lease management services for all departments of the county;

B. To negotiate for and acquire real property and buildings;

C. To provide for the collection of rentals for use of county buildings;

D. To keep full and complete records of real property owned or leased by the county.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.11)

The director of public works shall have the following powers and duties:

A. To provide appropriation, cost, revenue, and related accounting services and reports for fiscal control and management purposes for the department;

B. To compile and integrate budget requests of the divisions of the departments;

C. To maintain an inventory of capital property of the department;

D. To provide data for budgetary control for the department;

E. To make studied and reports pertaining to organization, procedures and administrative matters of the department;

F. To keep payroll and personnel records of all divisions of the department.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.14)

The building official, subject to the administrative direction of the director of public works, shall have power to regulate all building construction in the unincorporated territory of the county relating to building structures, electric wiring and equipment, plumbing, heating, and ventilating, and moving of buildings, and other duties of like or different kind which he is directed to perform by the provisions of county ordinances or state law. He shall enforce and administer the provisions of the building regulations of the Alameda County General Ordinance Code. The building official shall keep a permanent record of all pertinent transactions of the division and render a monthly report to the board of supervisors of all permits issued and fees collected. All fees collected shall be turned over to the county treasurer for deposit in the appropriate fund of the county. The building official is an advisory member of the Alameda County planning commission. The building official shall supervise and maintain house and street numbering.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.15)

The director of public works is a member of the art commission, ex officio.

(Prior admin. code § 5-23.16)