San Francisco

SF Dept. of Public Works Names Acting Director After Public Corruption Probe

The new acting director plans to bring transparency to department after longtime head Mohammed Nuru was snared in a public corruption probe.

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The man who is stepping up to run San Francisco's Public Works Department met with workers Thursday.

This comes as the department's embattled leader is on leave and charged with fraud in a public corruption probe.

San Francisco DPW Acting Director Alaric Degrafinried is reaching out to meet and support department crews, who are out cleaning streets in challenging times.

"The biggest thing I think is openness," Degrafinried said.

That's his approach to leadership as new acting director after long-time head Mohammed Nuru was snared in a public corruption probe with another man and placed on leave.

"We're going to bring transparency into the bidding process," Degrafinried said. "That's really the way you do it."

The acting director has worked as the city's purchaser and is now tasked with leading 1,600 workers in the aftermath of a case that rocked City Hall.

"City Hall has been plagued by culture of pay to play under the table backroom dealings," San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney said.

Haney at City Hall on Thursday called for an outside special investigator.

"It is both necessary and appropriate to identify a completely independent investigator without any pre-existing contracts or relationships with the city," Haney said.

Mayor London Breed said an investigation already underway will look at the responsibilities of the department.

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