Who We Are and What We Do

The Department of Public Works plans, designs, constructs, operates, and maintains facilities and equipment that are safe and accessible to the clients of County agencies, the general public and County employees. The Department advises the Board of Supervisors on all public works issues, including rates and charges for services that are fair to both the users and service providers. Public Works has a budget of approximately $300 million and is comprised of over 300 employees in five divisions: Administrative Services, Airports, Engineering and Resource Protection, Facility and Capital Projects, and Road Services. Most of the Public Works budget is funded from sources other than the County’s general fund. The budget includes federal and state funds earmarked for aviation and transportation, landfill franchise fees for waste management programs, gas taxes to maintain 316 miles of County roads, and property taxes and service charges to provide various services to the 46 special districts governed by the Board of Supervisors and administered by the Department.

 
Engineering and Resource Protection Division

The Engineering and Resource Protection Division consists of four sections, 1) Project Development and Design, 2) Construction Management, 3) Utilities, Flood Control, and Watershed Protection, 4) Surveying and Map Checking. This division includes sewer, water, lighting, and drainage districts; cable TV; flood control zones; enhancement, and promotion of alternatives; environmental compliance monitoring. The Project Development and Design section provides investigation, design, review, development of standards, and computer aided drafting support associated with roadway, utilities, and facility projects. The Construction Management section provides construction project management services and inspection. The Utilities, Flood Control and Watershed Protection Section operate and maintain the County’s 10 sewer maintenance and sanitation districts, 2 potable water service areas, and 11 street lighting districts. They are also responsible for the regulatory compliance for County sponsored projects including compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other compliance with the California State Water Resources Board Municipal Regional Permit. The Surveying division is responsible for map checking for San Mateo County, including subdivision maps, records of survey and corner records. They also perform field surveys in connections with Public Works related projects and maintenance of various surveying and mapping records.

 
Administrative Services

The Administrative Services Division consists of four sections: Financial Services & Performance Management, Business Systems Services, Clerical Services, and Human Resources / Payroll. Areas of responsibility in this division include business systems, automation, safety, risk management, budgeting, accounting, human resources, payroll services, training, and clerical support. Section managers, an executive secretary, and fiscal, information technology and human resources / payroll support positions staff the division. 

 
Airports Division

The Airports Division ensures the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the two County-operated Airports:  San Carlos and Half Moon Bay.  The division provides tenant space and services to support approximately 500 aircraft, 25 aviation-related businesses, and a variety of emergency service and response functions, including air-ambulance and medivac flights.  It manages and maintains over 500 acres of airport facilities, infrastructure, and equipment, and offers valuable aviation services with a strong emphasis on community engagement, noise abatement, and sustainable practices.

 
Facilities and Capital Projects Division

The Facilities and Capital Projects Division consists of five sections: Capital Projects, Building Services, Construction Services, Facilities, Maintenance & Operations - Redwood City, Facilities, Maintenance & Engineering - Health & Hospital, The Facilities Deputy Director, section managers, and skilled craft and maintenance personnel including supervisors, leads, and support positions staff the division.

  • The Capital Projects section develops and executes the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This section consists of one Senior Capital Project Manager, six Capital Project Manager II’s, two Capital Project Manager I’s, one Space Planner, one Energy Program Manager, one Contract Administrator, one Tech II, and one Energy Engineer. This section is responsible for managing and completing capital improvement projects, space planning, as well as, developing and managing the County’s Strategic Energy Master Plan.

  • The Building Services section provides janitorial services and a variety of building services for more than 70 County facilities, with over 4 million in total square footage. This section consists of a Facilities Support Services Manager, two Supervising Custodians, Utility Workers, Custodians, and a Parking Lot Attendant. Core activities include interior office maintenance, exterior office maintenance, receipt and delivery of supplies, room set-up and office configuration, and parking control. 

  • The Facilities Maintenance & Operations - Redwood City section is responsible for the operation, maintenance, installation and repair of machinery and equipment in County operated buildings. This includes HVAC systems, boilers, lighting systems, refrigeration, generators, water treatment, and emergency power systems. It also includes crafts services such as carpentry, painting, plumbing, and lock smithing services required to maintain County facilities. A Facilities Services Manager; two Supervising Stationary Engineers; a Crafts Supervisor; Stationary Engineers; Carpenters; Painters and Locksmiths; and Utility workers; and an Office Specialist position staff the section. Work activities are varied and range from hanging doors to monitoring and adjusting computerized heating and ventilation systems.

  • Construction Services provides competitive professional crafts services beyond the scope of routine maintenance provided by the Facilities Operations and Maintenance section, and contracts with the County and Cities to provide carpentry, graffiti abatement, and lighting district services. Trades represented include electrical, plumbing, carpentry and painting. Construction Services is staffed by the Crafts Supervisor; skilled craft and maintenance workers; utility workers; and office support staff. Work activities are varied and range from remodels to new construction.
  • The Health and Hospital Facilities, Maintenance & Engineering section is responsible for the operation, maintenance, installation and repair of machinery and equipment located at the San Mateo County Health Center,  multiple satellite clinics, and health offices located throughout the County.  This includes HVAC systems, boilers, lighting systems, refrigeration, generators, water treatment, and emergency power systems. A Facilities Services Manager; a Supervising Stationary Engineer; Stationary Engineers; Painters, Utility workers; and an Office Specialist position staff the section. Work activities are varied and range from hanging doors to monitoring and adjusting computerized heating and ventilation systems. 
 
Road Services

The Road Services Division consists of three sections, Road Maintenance (Bayside and Coastside), Road Operations, and Vehicle & Equipment Services.

  • The Road Maintenance section is responsible for routine and emergency road maintenance and repairs signs and road markings and replacement program. The Bayside and Coastside sections are staffed with Road Maintenance Managers, Road Maintenance Supervisors, Road Construction Supervisor, Road Maintenance Workers II (sweepers and truck drivers), Road Maintenance Workers I (laborers), Road Equipment Supervisor, Equipment Operators, a Construction Carpenter-Mason, and Utility Workers. Much of the work in the Road Maintenance section is done on a cycle basis throughout the year. In the winter months, primary duties include digging and clearing ditches and conducting vegetation abatement along the roadways, installing/replacing signs; in the spring the focus of the work is on repairing winter damages from slides and slipouts, patching potholes, crack sealing, and preparation work for annual chip seal program and annual pavement preservation program, restriping crosswalks; summer and fall months focus on patching streets, chip seal roads, cleaning catch basins, trimming trees, and repair culverts and SD systems.
  • The  Road Operations section is responsible for reviewing and issuing encroachment permits, inspecting issued encroachment permits, conditioning developments for off-site stormwater drainage impacts associated with Planning and Building Department development reviews, and evaluating traffic operations (e.g. parking, speeding, etc.) and traffic engineering (e.g. infrastructures improvements/modifications, etc.) related issues. The Section is staffed with a Road Operations Manager (Sr. Civil Engineer), three engineers (civil), two inspectors, one Natural Resource Specialist (Biologist), and three Public Works Technicians.
  • The Vehicle and Equipment section is responsible for the purchase, maintenance, repair, and replacement of the majority of County heavy duty construction equipment, specialty vehicles and equipment, and motor vehicles (including, ICE, Hybrids, and EVs). The section also manages vehicle rental contracts, lease agreements with user departments, services and repairs generators and pumps, and provides automotive project management services. The Section is staffed with a Vehicle and Equipment Manager, two Automotive Mechanic Supervisors, an Equipment Mechanic Supervisor, a Management Analyst, Automotive Mechanics, Equipment Mechanics, Automotive Service Workers, Equipment Service Workers, and Office Support staff. Core work activities include preventive maintenance, scheduled and unscheduled repairs, DOT regulatory inspections, parts fabrication and modification, heavy equipment training for users, installation of new equipment, parts management, processing of equipment and vehicles annual registrations, and processing of HOV citations and fines.