OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Alameda Public Utilities Board Regular Meeting - June 16, 2025

City Council — Monday, June 16, 2025
BodyAlameda, California
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, June 16, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
3:03

I'd like to call to order the June sixteenth, twenty twenty-five regular meeting of the public utilities board at uh what do you say, six oh two PM?

3:12

Members of the public can attend in person or follow the meeting via web teleconference.

3:16

They can address the public utilities board during the meeting in person over web or teleconference or by email.

3:22

May I have a roll call, please.

3:27

Commissioner Hunter.

3:29

City Manager Ott.

3:31

Here and uh Commissioner Um Bird and Commissioner DeVries are um are absent today.

3:40

Okay, thank you.

3:41

The second item on the agenda is oral communications.

3:44

Members of the public are invited to address the board on any subject related to the activities of Alameda Municipal Power, not otherwise appearing on the agenda.

3:52

Comments are limited in person only.

3:54

Remote public comment is not available for this section.

3:56

Do we have any members of the public who are present who would like to speak?

4:02

Okay, then let's move on.

4:04

Um item three on the agenda is a special present uh would be special presentations, but we do not have any special presentations tonight.

4:11

So we'll move on to item four, the consent calendar.

4:15

Um consent calendar items are considered routine and will be enacted, approved or adopted by one motion unless requests for removal for discussion or explanation is received from the board or a member of the public.

4:29

Uh may I please pull item four F.

4:33

Okay, we're gonna pull four F um by motion authorized the general manager to award service provider agreement CPS 022503 with West Coast Arborists for a tree trimming services.

4:48

Okay, so we'll pull four F okay.

4:55

Do we have a um any other items?

4:58

Is anybody interested in pulling?

5:00

Okay.

5:00

And can I have a motion on the balance of the consent calendar, please?

5:05

So moved.

5:06

Okay.

5:07

Yeah, have a second.

5:08

I second.

5:09

Okay, so we have a motion from commit from City Manager Otten and the second from um Commissioner Hunter.

5:15

Is there any further discussion?

5:17

Then can we have a roll call vote, please?

5:20

Yes.

5:22

Yes.

5:24

Yes.

5:26

Okay.

5:26

Um item 4F.

5:27

Commissioner Hunter, would you like to take the lead?

5:29

Yes.

5:30

Uh thank you for pulling this item.

5:32

So 4F is the service provider agreement to West Coast Arborists.

5:38

Um in tandem with this item, we received a letter from Christopher Buckley, who has, I understand, uh been very involved and engaged with staff on the methodology of tree trimming.

5:53

And he, I think we all have the letter here.

5:56

He expressed some concerns about the clearance for uh wires in the secondary electrical system and uh distinguishing between, as I understand it, open wire and insulated wire, as well as uh the house clearance and uh several other concerns.

6:18

Um it does look like the the clearances are covered within the contract in exhibit A of this item for F.

6:29

And I'm just wondering if Mr.

6:31

Buckley is here tonight, if he would like to elaborate on his letter and we can discuss.

6:38

Uh I'd like to introduce uh Christopher Buckley via um teleconference.

6:45

Okay, Mr.

6:46

Buckley.

6:48

Christopher Buckley, can you hear me?

6:50

Yes, thank you very much.

6:51

We do.

6:52

Thank you.

6:53

Thank you.

6:53

So wanted to go over several points in the letter.

6:56

Um first I wanted to thank staff for engaging with me regarding the new standards.

7:03

And uh they've been very responsive to my inquiries and the responses, it's been very cordial and constructive.

7:08

Uh, I do have several concerns which have been previously recited.

7:12

Um, you know, first section two in exhibit A, Section 2H3 of the agreement uh specifies that where trees are in close contact to high voltage conductors, they maintain a four-foot clearance for secondary electrical lines, three foot from house hookups.

7:28

Uh previous version of these standards provide a two-foot clearance for secondary, one foot for house hookups, and no clearance for sheath grounded secondary conductors except for branches that are in direct contact and deserting tension.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Works████████████████████████24%
Customer Satisfaction█████████████████████21%
Personnel Matters███████████████15%
Procedural██████████████14%
Customer Service████████8%
Public Safety██████6%
Renewable Energy██████6%
Public Comment███3%
Economic Development███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Alameda Public Utilities Board Regular Meeting - June 16, 2025

The Alameda Public Utilities Board (PUB) held its regular meeting on June 16, 2025, at 6:02 PM, adjourning at 7:31 PM. Commissioners present: President McKenna, Commissioner Hunter, City Manager Ott. Commissioners Bird and DeVries were absent. The meeting covered a tree trimming contract, commercial customer survey results, and labor agreements.

Consent Calendar

  • Item 4F (pulled for discussion): Service provider agreement with West Coast Arborists, Inc. for tree trimming services. Not approved as part of consent; discussed and voted separately.
  • The balance of the consent calendar was approved by a unanimous motion (City Manager Ott, second Commissioner Hunter).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Christopher Buckley (via teleconference) addressed Item 4F. He expressed concerns about proposed clearance standards for secondary electrical lines (open wire vs. insulated), house hookups, and large branch cuts. He requested modifications: 4-foot clearance for uninsulated secondary, 1–2 feet for insulated secondary, 1 foot for house hookups, no clearance for sheath-grounded conductors except branches in tension, and avoiding cuts over 2 inches for AWAC secondary and communication lines. He asked for a breakdown of tree-related incidents (high voltage vs. secondary, private vs. public trees) and suggested more frequent pruning as an alternative. He also recommended that AMP include complete pruning (structural) beyond line clearance.

Discussion Items

  • Item 4F – Tree Trimming Contract (West Coast Arborists): General Manager Haynes responded that the contract establishes minimum standards per CPUC guidelines, ANSI, and ISA, with flexibility to adjust clearance based on tree species, growth history, safety, and public concern. He clarified that AMP does not have granular incident data but could begin capturing it. He stated that AMP will not align its trimming cycle with Public Works. Lonnie (legal counsel) noted that staff can adjust work schedules within the contract without amendment. Commissioner Hunter and City Manager Ott supported approval, emphasizing flexibility and the certified arborist’s role. Board voted unanimously to approve (motion Commissioner Hunter, second City Manager Ott) the agreement for a five-year period in the amount of $3,995,500 with a 15% contingency ($599,325), total not to exceed $4,594,825, and found the action exempt from CEQA.
  • Item 5A – Great Blue Research Commercial Customer Survey Results: Catherine Vollmer presented findings from a digital survey of 73 commercial customers (margin of error ±11%). Key results: 90% positive for safety/reliability; 82.2% positive for affordability (up from 63% in 2022); overall satisfaction 80%+ (significantly higher than other California municipal utilities). Net positive score (NP+S) was 93.2% (above national average of ~81%). Perceived value as a valued energy partner rose 32 percentage points to 75%. Power delivery ratings averaged 84.5%. Key account manager satisfaction at 87.5%. Interest in electrification: 25% considering fleet electrification, 40% building electrification. Awareness of AMP’s 100% clean energy generation at 63%. Recommendations included boosting awareness of EV and energy efficiency programs, sharing success stories, and tailoring marketing to segments. No action required; informational only.
  • Items 5B and 5C – Labor Agreements: Acting HR Director Noelle White presented. 5B (AMPU): Compensation plan for Alameda Municipal Power Unrepresented Management Employees, July 1, 2025–June 30, 2027. 5C (UPA): Memorandum of Understanding for Electrical Utility Professionals of Alameda, same term, with principles including general wage increases tied to a base revenue index (1%–5%), equity adjustments to market median, a $1,000 annual healthcare premium offset, and additional administrative leave for exempt staff. The total fiscal year 2026 financial impact across AMP units is $432,000. IBEW negotiations are ongoing, with status quo in place. Board approved both resolutions unanimously (motions by Commissioner Hunter, seconds by City Manager Ott).
  • General Manager’s Report (May 2025): General Manager Haynes reported a copper theft incident at Alameda Point on Thursday night prior, causing an outage affecting ~10 customers. Power was restored within 12 hours, and temporary poles were set; permanent undergrounding will follow future infrastructure development. He commended staff across departments for the rapid response.

Key Outcomes

  • Item 4F: Approved tree trimming contract with West Coast Arborists (unanimous 3-0).
  • Items 5B and 5C: Approved resolutions recommending adoption of AMPU compensation plan and UPA MOU by City Council (both unanimous 3-0).
  • Item 5A: Received and filed commercial customer survey results; no action taken.
  • Council Communications: City Manager Ott noted the City Council will consider the two-year biennial budget and a 13-acre campus option agreement for Pacific Fusion (clean tech company) at its June 17, 2025 meeting.
  • Board Communications: Commissioner Hunter will speak at the City Council meeting in support of the Pacific Fusion project, highlighting AMP’s collaboration and alignment with decarbonization goals.
  • Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 7:31 PM.

Meeting Transcript

I'd like to call to order the June sixteenth, twenty twenty-five regular meeting of the public utilities board at uh what do you say, six oh two PM? Members of the public can attend in person or follow the meeting via web teleconference. They can address the public utilities board during the meeting in person over web or teleconference or by email. May I have a roll call, please. Commissioner Hunter. City Manager Ott. Here and uh Commissioner Um Bird and Commissioner DeVries are um are absent today. Okay, thank you. The second item on the agenda is oral communications. Members of the public are invited to address the board on any subject related to the activities of Alameda Municipal Power, not otherwise appearing on the agenda. Comments are limited in person only. Remote public comment is not available for this section. Do we have any members of the public who are present who would like to speak? Okay, then let's move on. Um item three on the agenda is a special present uh would be special presentations, but we do not have any special presentations tonight. So we'll move on to item four, the consent calendar. Um consent calendar items are considered routine and will be enacted, approved or adopted by one motion unless requests for removal for discussion or explanation is received from the board or a member of the public. Uh may I please pull item four F. Okay, we're gonna pull four F um by motion authorized the general manager to award service provider agreement CPS 022503 with West Coast Arborists for a tree trimming services. Okay, so we'll pull four F okay. Do we have a um any other items? Is anybody interested in pulling? Okay. And can I have a motion on the balance of the consent calendar, please? So moved. Okay. Yeah, have a second. I second. Okay, so we have a motion from commit from City Manager Otten and the second from um Commissioner Hunter. Is there any further discussion? Then can we have a roll call vote, please? Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. Um item 4F. Commissioner Hunter, would you like to take the lead? Yes. Uh thank you for pulling this item. So 4F is the service provider agreement to West Coast Arborists. Um in tandem with this item, we received a letter from Christopher Buckley, who has, I understand, uh been very involved and engaged with staff on the methodology of tree trimming. And he, I think we all have the letter here. He expressed some concerns about the clearance for uh wires in the secondary electrical system and uh distinguishing between, as I understand it, open wire and insulated wire, as well as uh the house clearance and uh several other concerns. Um it does look like the the clearances are covered within the contract in exhibit A of this item for F. And I'm just wondering if Mr. Buckley is here tonight, if he would like to elaborate on his letter and we can discuss. Uh I'd like to introduce uh Christopher Buckley via um teleconference. Okay, Mr. Buckley. Christopher Buckley, can you hear me?

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