San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Annual Election and Water Supply Emergency Briefing – October 12, 2021
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Meeting – October 12, 2021
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) met on October 12, 2021, to elect new officers, receive updates on capital financing, water supply outlook, biosolids project, and employee vaccination status, and adopt findings to continue remote meetings. A key theme was the impact of state-ordered curtailments on water supply and the need for a health and safety exception or regained access to the water bank in Lake Don Pedro.
Annual Election of Officers
- The commission unanimously elected Commissioner Anson Moran as President and Commissioner Nisha Ajami as Vice President for a one-year term. Outgoing President Sophie Maxwell was thanked for her leadership.
Approval of Minutes
- Minutes of the September 17 special meeting and September 28 regular meeting were approved, with a correction noted for water use figures for the San Diego region.
General Public Comment
- David Pilpel urged the commission to take up Item 12 (remote meetings) early and thanked President Maxwell for her work.
- Peter Dreckmeyer (Tuolumne River Trust) praised the board and referenced the Mono Lake settlement and unimpaired flow in the lower Tuolumne River (15% last year, 13% this year).
- Alina Dupree expressed support for Clean Power SF and renewable energy programs.
- Several speakers from the Peninsula criticized the College of San Mateo's cross-country events on the Crystal Springs watershed, citing increased scale (25 events, over 20,000 participants), lack of environmental review, and neighborhood impacts. They urged the commission to conduct an EIR and limit events.
- A speaker questioned contract performance on the AWAS pump station project, noting cost growth from $17.9M to $22.7M and duration extension from 950 to 1,800 days.
- David Pilpel raised concerns about staff departures and potential impacts of vaccine mandates on 24/7 operations.
Communications
- No commission questions. Public comment included support for the Citizens Advisory Committee resolution on the Racial Equity Plan.
Bond Disclosure Responsibility Training
- Deputy City Attorney Mark Blake and outside counsel Steve Spitz presented training on federal securities law obligations for bond issuances. Commissioners were reminded of their gatekeeper role, the importance of disclosure documents, and the need to voice concerns. The training was part of annual debt management procedures.
Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Annual Update
- CAC Chair Anita Eckman presented the committee's priorities, including equity, affordability programs, infrastructure accountability, water and power diversification, and green infrastructure. She highlighted the CAC's resolution supporting continued funding for the SFPUC Racial Equity Plan and Community Benefits. Commissioner Maxwell asked about ensuring funding and accountability. Commissioner Jami raised the need for cross-enterprise solutions. Commissioner Paulson thanked the committee and offered labor council resources.
Report of the General Manager
FY2021-22 Capital Financing Plan
- Rich Morales presented the annual plan detailing 11 planned transactions, including renewal of bank credit facilities, sale of revenue notes and bonds, and a state revolving fund loan for the Mountain Tunnel project. The plan is non-action and provides forward visibility. Commissioners asked about debt service coverage ratios and the relationship between revenue and debt. Deputy CFO Charles Pearl noted that future bond disclosure documents will include five-year projections and that budget hearings in January will include a 10-year financial plan.
Water Supply Outlook with State Board Curtailment Order
- Assistant General Manager Steve Ritchie presented a stress test scenario assuming two more years of extreme drought (equivalent to 1976-77). Under current curtailments (affecting Tuolumne River diversions), deliverable storage would be exhausted by December 2023 even with a 10% reduction in use. A health and safety exception could add 270,000 acre-feet and allow the system to survive. The commission discussed the need to regain access to the water bank (360,000 acre-feet in Lake Don Pedro) and to declare a water supply emergency at the November 9 meeting. Commissioners requested additional analysis of deeper demand reductions (e.g., 25% savings) and a communication strategy, especially for wholesale customers and renters. Staff will report back in November.
Southeast Biosolids Digester Facilities Project Update
- Stephen Robinson and Alan Johansson reported on progress after pausing to re-evaluate delivery strategy. The team adopted a more collaborative approach with the CMGC (MWH Webcore joint venture), successfully bidding out work on Building 610 with results under estimate and exceeding LBE goals. They recommend continuing with a single CMGC contract rather than splitting into multiple design-bid-build contracts. Commissioner Paulson supported the approach; Commissioner Maxwell asked about schedule and commissioning plans and directed staff to address concerns about transparency and local hiring raised by public comment from Marinship Development. Staff will return with a strategy for community outreach and bid notification improvements.
Employee Vaccination Status Report
- Chief People Officer Justine Hinderleiter reported that as of the meeting morning, 10.5% of employees (about 235) were non-compliant (not fully vaccinated or not reported status). Data from September 30 showed disproportionate impacts on Black employees (especially Black females in exempt appointments) and on apprentices (27% potential reduction). The city mandate requires full vaccination by November 1; non-compliant employees face separation. The commission discussed targeted outreach, peer effects, and the risk of losing institutional knowledge. Staff are exploring emergency hiring provisions and an equity lens for replacements. Commissioner Harrington requested a post-compliance report on exemption patterns. Commissioners urged continued outreach at all levels.
New Commission Business
- None.
Consent Calendar
- Items 11a and 11b were removed from consent at public request and discussed individually.
- 11a (Amendment to agreement with Aquatic Science Center): Approved 4-0.
- 11b (Contract for sewer cleaning and inspection to Pipe and Plant Solutions, Inc.): Approved 4-0 after discussion of a bid protest that was denied.
The commission also discussed the procedure for removing items from the consent calendar and directed staff to provide criteria guidance.
Remote Meeting Findings
- The commission adopted findings under state urgency legislation to continue remote meetings for 30 days, with a resolution to be included on the next agenda. The vote was 4-0.
Key Outcomes
- Anson Moran elected President, Nisha Ajami elected Vice President (unanimous).
- Minutes approved (unanimous).
- Capital Financing Plan received; no vote.
- Water supply emergency declaration expected at November 9 meeting; staff to provide additional demand reduction analysis and communication plan.
- Biosolids project to proceed with single CMGC; staff to report on local hiring and community transparency.
- Vaccination compliance campaign to continue; equity concerns acknowledged.
- Remote meeting findings adopted (4-0).
- Consent items 11a and 11b approved (4-0 each).
- Commission will provide guidance on consent calendar removal criteria.
Meeting Transcript
PUC. I am President Sophie Maxwell. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. President Maxwell. Here. Vice President Moran. Here. Commissioner Paulson. Commissioner Paulson. Here. Thank you. Commissioner Harrington. Here. Commissioner Johnny. Here. And you have a quorum. Thank you. Due to the ongoing COVID 19 health emergency, and given the public health recommendations issued by the San Francisco Department of Public Health and the emergency orders of the governor and the mayor concerning social distancing and lifting the restriction on teleconference. This meeting is being held via teleconference and it's being televised by SFGTV. For those of you watching the live stream, please be aware there is a brief time lag between the live meeting and what is being viewed on SFGTV. On behalf of the Commission, I would like to extend our thanks to SFGTV staff and SFPUC IT staff for their assistance during this meeting. If you wish to make public comment on an item, dial 1415-655-0001, meeting ID 146-067-9420 pound pound. To raise your hand to speak, press star three. Please note that you must limit your comments to the topic of the agenda item being discussed, unless you are speaking under general public comment. And remind you if you do not stay on the topic, the chair can interrupt and ask you to limit your comments to the agenda item. We ask that public comment be made in a civil and respectful manner and that you refrain from use of profanity. Please address your remarks to the commission as a whole, not to not to individual commissioners or staff. Madam President. Thank you. Before calling the first item, I'd like to announce that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission acknowledges that it owns and are stewards of the unceded lands located within the ethnohistoric territory of the Mawekma Alone tribe and other descendants of the historic federally recognized Mission San Jose Verona Band of Alameda County. The San Francisco PUC also recognizes that every citizen residing within the Greater Bay Area has and continues to benefit from the use and occupation of the Mawakma Alone tribes lands. Since before and after the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's founding in 1932, it is vitally important that we do not only recognize the historic history of the tribal lands on which we reside, but also we acknowledge and honor the fact that the Mawakma Alone people have established a working partnership with the San Francisco PUC and are productive and flourishing members within the many greater San Francisco Bay Area communities today. Madam Secretary, next item, please. Your first order business is item three, the annual election of officers, discussion and possible action to elect president and a vice president of the commission, each to serve a one-year term as per San Francisco Public Utilities Commission rules of order, rule number six. Thank you very much. And as an outgoing president, I just want to thank the mayor and our many employees and staff for all their dedication to our mission on the public utilities. And I'd also like to thank our stakeholders, our knowledgeable and dedicated stakeholders who have only made us better. And last but not least, it has been an honor to serve with such dedicated, knowledgeable and committed commissioners. I've never served on any other commission, but if the people are like you, San Francisco has a lot to be thankful for. So again, thank you very much for all that you are and do. Next, I I would like to go over this procedure. Um first we will have public comment and then nominations for commission president, and then a motion and a second and a vote. And then we will we will be followed by the vice president. So public comment at this time. This is for the president only at this time. Dial 1415-655-0001, meeting ID 146067-9420 pound pound. To raise your hand to speak, press star three Mr. Moderator, do we have any callers? Madam Secretary, there are four callers in the queue at this time. Moderator do we have any callers Madam Secretary there are four callers in the queue at this time caller number one I have unmuted your line can you hear me now can hear you great uh David Pilpel good afternoon so two uh things here first um when you're done with this item since you seem like you're already in this uh I would strongly encourage you to take item 12 out of order and consider it next if that fails to pass then the meeting should adjourn and any actions that you've taken I believe would be uh null and void I think it's pretty important to take uh item 12 and I'm surprised that it's uh down on the regular calendar and not called out as um an early item um as to the election of uh officers I think any of you could serve and do a fine job and I just wanted to uh appreciate not just the good work that all of you do on the uh commission um but in particular uh as outgoing President uh Maxwell um indicated she's spent lots of time this past year with plenty of difficult circumstances as have the other four of you and the rest of us um but I just want to wanted to uh publicly appreciate um President Maxwell's uh work I think we uh probably agree on greater than 90 or 95 percent of things and where we um may not I think we uh respect each other very much and so I appreciate um her efforts and look forward to the new president and vice president thanks again thank you for your comments next caller I have unmuted your line you have two minutes thank you good afternoon this is Peter Dreckmeyer policy director for the Tuolamy River Trust I want to thank President Maxwell for uh a wonderful year served um you did a great job and this was the year of workshop we all educated and learned from each other and I think we made a lot of progress and this is the strongest board by far that I've seen in my 14 years working for the Tuolemy River Trust vote thank you President Maxwell and if you follow the tradition of elevating the vice president to president I think Anson Moran will do a great job the workshop that he chaired in March was so well organized and a lot of that most of that was thanks to Vice President Moran so um thank you all very much and I'll probably weigh in a little bit later too thanks thank you for your comments next caller I have unmuted your line and you have two minutes um thank you uh President Sophie Maxwell and members uh Alita Dupree for the record my pronouns are she and her and I'm gonna talk about this item of election of new officers and here's why I don't know any of you never met any of you I hope to someday I maintain to you that the community of people that are touched by the SFPC is very diverse it's not just about the city and county of San Francisco I was not born in San Francisco.
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