Brief

The Mayor's office submitted a Safe, Clean Water Program proposal to fund a street sweeping study in the Upper Los Angeles River (ULAR) watershed as part of Measure W's Safe, Clean Water Round 6 (2025-26) regional projects. The Energy and Environment Committee approved the item on June 16, 2026, following a June 12 referral from the Safe, Clean Water Program Administrative Oversight Committee.

Full summary

This Council File authorizes the Bureau of Sanitation to sign a transfer agreement with the Los Angeles County Flood Control District and accept $688,350 in Measure W regional grant funds to conduct a Street Sweeping Scientific Study in the Upper Los Angeles River watershed. Measure W, approved by County voters in 2018, directs half of its annual parcel tax revenues to nine watershed areas on a competitive basis. The City competes in three of those watersheds; this is the sole project the City submitted for the ULAR area in Round 6, because the County restricted Round 6 to technical and special studies programs rather than infrastructure projects. The County Board of Supervisors approved the project for FY 2025-26 funding on November 4, 2025, and the funds are a one-time disbursement with no subsequent-year addenda required. The study's central goal is to help the City answer three operational questions about its street sweeping program: how to sweep (which equipment types and speeds remove the most pollutants), where to sweep (which routes and land uses carry the highest pollutant loads), and when to sweep (what frequencies and seasonal timing maximize water quality benefit). Urban streets accumulate metals, hydrocarbons, bacteria, and fine particulates that are flushed into storm drains during rain events; street sweeping removes these pollutants at the source before they reach downstream waterways. The Bureau of Sanitation has already completed early phases of the study using $105,000 in City municipal funds, including a work plan, data compilation, and controlled-environment sweeper effectiveness testing. The $688,350 in regional funds will cover the remaining tasks: real-street sweeper testing, street dirt characterization across multiple land uses and traffic levels, final reporting, and project management. The study is expected to run through FY 2028-29. The transfer agreement requires the City to submit quarterly expenditure and progress reports, obtain an independent audit upon completion, and acknowledge Measure W funding in all study publications. The Board of Public Works approved the agreement on May 5, 2026, and the City Attorney approved it as to form. Because the funds constitute a grant under the Los Angeles Administrative Code, Council approval is required. The Mayor transmitted the item on June 11, 2026; the Energy and Environment Committee approved it on June 16, 2026. Full Council action is the expected next step. Once Council and the Mayor approve, the County will disburse funds within 45 days of receiving the executed agreement. There is no impact to the City General Fund.

Activity (4)

• 2026-06-16 Energy and Environment Committee approved item(s) .
• 2026-06-12 Energy and Environment Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on June 16, 2026.
• 2026-06-12 Safe, Clean Water Program Administrative Oversight Committee document(s) referred to Energy and Environment Committee.
• 2026-06-11 Document submitted by the Mayor, Safe, Clean Water Program Administrative Oversight Committee report dated May 29, 2026.

Documents (2)

• 2026-06-16 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-05-29 Report from City Administrative Officer · report