San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Meeting – March 24, 2026

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) held a regular meeting on March 24, 2026, at 9:45 AM. The meeting included approval of minutes, general public comment, a report from the General Manager introducing a new Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer, approval of a consent calendar, a lease award for a parcel in San Jose, and a contract modification for wastewater control system upgrades. The meeting adjourned at 2:14 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes of March 10, 2026 (Item 3) – unanimous vote.
• Approved consent calendar (Item 6) including four items; Commissioner Stacey noted a decrease in contract amounts on Item 6C – unanimous vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Public Comment (Item 4):
  • Francisco De Costa criticized the Commission’s land acknowledgment, questioned actions on the Tuolumne River, requested audits of fire-department-transferred assistance (approx. 170 items) and reservoir water quality, and stated his team would meet the San Francisco Inspector General.
  • Peter Dreckmeyer (Assembly River Alliance) expressed concerns about the draft Urban Water Management Plan, stating it is biased in favor of the SFPUC’s anti-Bay Delta plan. He argued that the plan’s use of a “design drought” scenario (a dry sequence 19 times less likely than the drought of record) leads to unnecessary heavy rationing, while the agency would retain over 600,000 acre-feet in storage. He requested a workshop on the design drought.

Discussion Items

• General Manager’s Report (Item 5): General Manager Dennis introduced Dr. Marco Barker as the new Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer. Dr. Barker brings 18 years of experience and started earlier in March 2026. He briefly addressed the Commission, emphasizing investment in people and communities.
• Lease Award – Parcel in San Jose (Item 7): Josh Keene, Assistant Real Estate Director, presented a proposal to award a lease for 3.092 acres (Assessor’s Parcel No. 97-84-029) to Tasman Zanchor San Jose LLC. The lease stems from a 1997 lease with Cisco Systems, which is selling part of its campus. The new lease is for 11 years with an initial annual base rent of $348,152.89, subject to Board of Supervisors approval. The lease includes favorable terms (4% annual increase versus previous 20% every five years). Commissioner Stacey noted it sounds like a slightly better deal for the PUC. The item passed unanimously.
• Contract Modification – Wastewater Distributed Control System (Item 8): Maria Christel Cruz, project manager, presented Modification No. 3 to contract DB-126 with Emerson Process Management Power and Water Solutions Inc. The modification increases the contract amount by $35.5 million to a total not-to-exceed $83,050,600, with no schedule change. The project upgrades the computerized control system across wastewater facilities. Work includes design completion, integration of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island facilities, and commissioning support for the Biosolids project. Commissioner Stacey and Vice President Leverone discussed the progressive design-build process and budget history (original estimate of $51 million in 2015). Commissioner Thurlow noted that $700,000 of the $35.5 million is for Treasure Island/Yerba Buena integration. The item passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Votes:
  • Item 3 (Minutes): Approved unanimously (5-0).
  • Item 6 (Consent Calendar): Approved unanimously (5-0).
  • Item 7 (Lease Award): Approved unanimously (5-0).
  • Item 8 (Contract Modification): Approved unanimously (5-0).
  • Item 12 (Motion to assert attorney-client privilege): Approved unanimously.
  • Item 14 (Motion not to disclose closed session): Approved unanimously.
• Next Steps: The lease award for Tasman Zanchor San Jose LLC will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval under Charter Section 9.118, likely in summer 2026. The DCS contract modification allows continuation of design and construction across all wastewater facilities.