Santa Monica set to expand maintenance and cleaning services across the city

March 27, 2026 3:23 PM

Public Works Realignment Update reorganization effort brings enhanced pressure washing, landscaping, and tree trimming beyond Downtown

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 27, 2026) - Santa Monica residents and businesses across the City will see expanded maintenance and cleaning services on their commercial corridors following the City Council's approval this week of a comprehensive Public Works Department reorganization as part of the Realignment Plan Update.

The reorganization-the most significant departmental restructuring in the update-extends the enhanced maintenance approach that has been deployed in the Downtown core since late 2025 to all of the city's major commercial corridors, including Montana Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard, Main Street, Pico Boulevard, and Ocean Park Boulevard.

"Santa Monica has always believed that a clean, well-maintained city is a more welcoming one for everyone. This reorganization and expansion is about making sure that every neighborhood, every corridor, every small business owner gets the same investment we've made in Downtown," Mayor Caroline Torosis said. "From Montana Avenue to Ocean Park Boulevard, our residents deserve streets they're proud of, and this expansion delivers on that promise."

Enhanced services being extended to commercial corridors citywide include regular pressure washing of sidewalks and public spaces, hand and broom cleaning of streetscapes, enhanced sidewalk maintenance, and expanded landscaping and tree trimming. These services will be delivered in part through a workforce development partnership with Chrysalis, building on the successful model already operating in the Downtown core.

The Public Works reorganization also includes the creation of a new Downtown and Beach Maintenance Division, merging the existing Downtown and beach maintenance teams under a unified structure. The City's 311 customer service operation, which handles approximately 70 percent of Public Works-related service requests, will transfer to the department to improve response coordination and accountability. And the Mobility Division will move from the Department of Transportation into Public Works Engineering, consolidating right-of-way planning, design, construction, and maintenance under a single department.

The reorganization adds 12 positions across the department, including supervisory, technical, and community-facing roles, and includes dedicated funding for contracted cleaning and landscaping services at libraries as operating hours expand.

These investments build on substantial progress already achieved under the Realignment Plan's Downtown capital improvement program, including the pruning of 603 trees, planting of 37 new large-specimen trees, repair of 7,000 square feet of sidewalks, installation of over 300 native plants at gateway locations, and the deployment of the City's Homeless Support Team, which has collected over 744 tons of debris since October 2023, with collection volumes increasing 72 percent year-over-year.

For more information about the Santa Monica Realignment Plan, visit santamonica.gov.

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Lauren Howland
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