San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Meeting – January 23, 2024
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San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Meeting – January 23, 2024
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) held its regular meeting on January 23, 2024, at 9:45 AM. The meeting was called to order with a quorum (President Paulson, Vice President Rivera, Commissioners Maxwell, Jamy, and Stacy). The commission acknowledged the unceded lands of the Muwekma Ohlone tribe. Item 6 (BAWSCA update) was pulled from the agenda, and item 15 (closed session litigation) was rescheduled. The meeting covered the approval of minutes, general public comment, a human resources update, consent calendar items, and three regular calendar items: a watershed management agreement with Yosemite National Park, an increase in power sales contract revenue authority, and an amendment to the General Manager’s employment contract. The commission also entered closed session for two litigation items.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of January 9, 2024: Approved unanimously with no corrections.
- Consent Calendar Items 7a–7i: Approved unanimously. These included amendments to contracts for engineering services, time and cost contingencies, and acceptance of completed work. Notable discussion occurred on item 7a (Lower Alemany Area Stormwater Improvement Project): an additional $2 million was needed due to a tunnel realignment prompted by Caltrans feedback that an off-ramp closure would be too disruptive. The project is at 65% design. Commissioner Jamy expressed concern about communication with Caltrans, noting a similar issue on the Folsom project.
Public Comments & Testimony
- General Public Comment (Item 4): Spreck Rosecrans (Restore Hetch Hetchy) thanked the commission for projects around Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (safer Wapama Falls Bridge, boat ramp repair, potable water at campsites). Other speakers raised concerns about the Bayview Hunters Point waste treatment facility: a 5% community benefit commitment (approximately $15 million based on a $300 million project) and the status of a stationary engineer training program. Lassonia Mansfield and Demetrius Williams (San Francisco Hyperlocal Building Trades Contractors Collective) requested reinstatement of the stationary engineer program and resources for community training.
- Public Comment on Item 5 (HR Update): A speaker criticized the lack of progress on the contracting center model for community workforce development.
- Public Comment on Item 8 (Yosemite MOA): Spreck Rosecrans opposed the agreement, arguing it poorly describes the Raker Act and discriminates against park visitors; he urged the commission not to approve it.
Discussion Items
- Item 5: Report of the General Manager – Human Resources Update
- Wendy Macy, Chief People Officer, and Melissa White presented. The raw vacancy rate for permanent funded positions is trending downward despite adding over 100 positions. The SFPUC now has over 2,000 filled positions. The average time to fill a position has decreased from 275 to 175 days. The HR division is reorganizing from siloed units into cross-functional client-centered pods (e.g., a dedicated pod for Power Enterprise). Two new recruiters are on board, focusing on outreach and branding. Commissioners discussed retention, job title flexibility, the need to re-evaluate education/experience requirements, and the importance of tracking candidates and outcomes. Commissioner Stacy asked about pre-COVID vacancy rates; Macy indicated data reliability has improved recently. Commissioner Maxwell asked whether the process is sufficient to meet staffing needs; Macy responded that strategies are sound and the agency is trending in the right direction.
- Item 8: Yosemite National Park Watershed Management Memorandum of Agreement
- Margaret Hanniford (manager of Hetch Hetchy Water Division) presented the agreement with the National Park Service for comprehensive management of watersheds within Yosemite. The $40,958,727, 4-year agreement supports source water protection, environmental stewardship, and security of SFPUC facilities. The agreement is required to maintain filtration avoidance designation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The commission approved it 5-0.
- Item 9: Increase in Power Sales Contract Revenue Authority
- Julia O'Geen (director of origination and power supply) requested approval to increase the annual revenue cap for power sales contracts exceeding $1 million from $10 million to $20 million per year through July 1, 2025. The increase is needed due to higher wholesale electricity prices driven by global shortages and supply chain disruptions. The commission approved the increase and authorized the General Manager to seek Board of Supervisors approval. Commissioners discussed the cap, market volatility, and waivers for city policies (e.g., LBE, prevailing wage) that do not apply to short-term commodity transactions. Barbara Hale (AGM for Power) clarified that waivers are reported quarterly.
- Item 10: Amendment to General Manager’s Employment Contract
- President Paulson explained that the contract with General Manager Dennis Herrera had a two-year reopener. After a performance review, the commission approved an amendment to set the salary at the midpoint of Range C of the Department Head 5 salary schedule. The motion passed 5-0.
Key Outcomes
- Approved Minutes of January 9, 2024 (5-0).
- Consent Calendar passed (5-0).
- Item 8 (Yosemite MOA) approved (5-0).
- Item 9 (Power Sales Authority) approved (5-0).
- Item 10 (GM Contract Amendment) approved (5-0).
- Closed Session: The commission asserted attorney-client privilege and held closed session on two litigation items (Nicholas Navarro claim settlement and another unlitigated claim). After closed session, the commission voted not to disclose discussions.
- Next Meeting: A budget hearing is scheduled for Friday, January 26, 2024, at 9:00 AM in Room 416.
- Commissioner Jamy requested a survey of other commissions regarding remote public comment options; staff will follow up within a day.
Meeting Transcript
SFPUC regular meeting of January 23rd is now called to order. We have the roll call of officers, please. Of commissioners, please. Good afternoon. Before I call the role, I'd like to announce that item number six, the Bosca update, is going to be pulled from today's agenda, and item number 15 on closed session will be rescheduled. President Paulson. Aye. Here. Vice President Rivera? Here. Commissioner Jamy? Yeah. Commissioner Maxwell? Commissioner Stacy? Here. You have a quorum? Thank you. So before 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 Molecula Ohlone tribe and other familiar descendants of the historically federally recognized Mission San Jose Verona Band of Olamita County. The SFPUC also recognizes that every citizen residing within the Greater Bay Area has and continues to benefit from the use and occupation of the Moequa Ohlone tribes aboriginal land since before and after the Public Utilities Commission's founding in 1923. It is vitally important that we not only recognize the history of the tribal lands on which we reside, but also we acknowledge and honor the fact that the Moequa Loney people have established a working partnership with the SFPUC and are productive and flourishing members within the many greater San Francisco Bay Area communities today. So Donna, can you um call the first item, please? Item number three is approval of the minutes of January 9, 2024. Commissioners, are there any corrections uh to the minutes? Um seeing none, um let's open the minutes to um can you call for public call comment, please? Do you have any members of the public present to provide comment on item number three? This is the minutes uh seeing none. Um seeing no public comment, um I we have a motion and second to approve the minutes of January 9th. So moved. Second. There's a motion and a second. Can we have a roll call, please? President Paulson? Aye. Vice President Rivera. Aye. Commissioner Maxwell? Commissioner Jamy, Commissioner Stacey? Aye. You know, five eyes. Okay. Item number four, can you call that, please? Item four is general public comment. Uh members of the public can provide comment to the public comment to the commission on items that are within the commission's jurisdiction and are not on today's agenda. I do have two speaker cards, one from Spreck Rosecrans, and I know we have some other folks present. So please step up to the message. Please come to the microphone. You're up. Rather lengthy, I'll be quick. Um, this is about the Emerson's Community Honor Point Bayview Economic Development Commitment. Members of the Commission, as a concerned resident of the Honest Point and Bayview communities, uh, there are several uh points of interest and questions that I would like to bring forth to this body concerning a new waste treatment facility that has been undertaken by SFPUC in service of these neighborhoods.
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