San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Regular Meeting - October 13, 2026

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) held its regular meeting on October 13, 2026, beginning at 9:30 AM. The meeting opened with a land acknowledgment and proceeded through the annual election of officers, approval of minutes, general public comment, employee retirement recognitions, presentations from the Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), action on the consent calendar, an update on the general manager selection process, and unanimous approval of several contract amendments, a grant authorization, and the 2026–2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.

Annual Election of Officers

• Public comment: A speaker argued that one-year terms for commissioners are insufficient given the seriousness of the issues.
• Commission President: Commissioner Stacy nominated Vice President Steve Leverone. Leverone accepted, and the nomination was seconded by Commissioner Jamdar. By roll‑call vote (5–0), Leverone was elected President.
• Commission Vice President: Commissioner Arcee nominated Commissioner Avni Jamdar; Commissioner Thurlow nominated Commissioner Stacy. Both accepted. The roll‑call vote proceeded by preference: President Leverone and Commissioner Thurlow voted for Stacy; Commissioner Arcee and Commissioner Jamdar voted for Jamdar; Commissioner Stacy voted for herself. Stacy was elected Vice President (3 votes to 2).

Approval of Minutes

• Commissioner Arcee requested a correction to the September 8, 2026, minutes: the motion for the Clean Power SF net billing tariff should include a clause requiring staff to report back in May 2028. Staff noted the correction. The minutes were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Commissioner Stacy asked detailed questions about four pipe‑inspection and lining contracts (items 9G, 9L, 9M, 9N) and about a new set of Hetch Hetchy water‑and‑power service contracts (9E). Staff from the contract administration bureau clarified the distinct scopes and award process. No further discussion; the consent calendar passed unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General public comment (Item 5): Francisco de Costa criticized reservoir maintenance and water quality. DeAndra Bryant requested records on community benefits from wastewater projects and funding for Dream Keepers. A remote caller showed a map of inadequate emergency firefighting water coverage and cited rate increases (18% Tier‑1 water, 37% fixed wastewater, 446% Tier‑3 stormwater). John Rosa Pepe spoke about endangered Chinook salmon in the Tuolumne River.
• CAC resolution (Item 7): Multiple callers supported the CAC’s salmon‑restoration resolution. Denise Louie said the Bay‑Delta ecosystem is in collapse. Francisco de Costa argued the Tuolumne River lacks sufficient water and that the commission should study the RECA Act. Dave Warner reported the CAC vote was 10–1 (only the BAWSCA CEO representative opposed) and urged the commission to adopt the resolution and direct staff on design‑drought modeling, water demand projections, and quarterly reporting. John Rosa Pepe, Mark Rockwell (Northern California Council Fly Fishers International), and others asked the commission to drop opposition to the Bay‑Delta Plan.
• BAWSCA report (Item 8): Mary Butterwick supported the CAC resolution.
• GM selection (Item 10): Francisco de Costa criticized the prior selection process.
• Grant (Item 13): Kieran Farr (Sierra Club) praised the Outer Mission Green Nodes Project and challenged the commission to pursue three more such projects in the coming year.

Employee Retirement Recognitions

• The General Manager recognized three employees retiring with 25+ years of service:
  • Terrence Gardner (45 years) – first African American stationary engineer in the Water Enterprise; praised for his emergency‑response and water‑quality work.
  • Rhonda Tessaro (35 years) – guest‑services leader at Hetch Hetchy; recognized for mentoring and positivity.
  • Steve Thomason (over 20 years) – senior civil engineer who developed the dam‑safety program and led emergency repairs after the 2018 storm.
  • Resolutions were read, and each retiree offered remarks. Combined service: 106 years. Commissioners thanked them and noted their institutional knowledge.

Citizens Advisory Committee Presentation

• Chair Doug Jacuzzi reported that the CAC has refreshed its membership, increased community engagement, and adopted protocols for reading resolutions before the Commission. He presented a resolution urging the SFPUC to:
  • Expedite beneficial projects for salmon recovery on the Tuolumne River.
  • Include funding for such projects in the FY2026–27 biennial budget.
  • Amend the design‑drought and drought operations to provide at least 30% minimum flows during salmon season in at least five out of eight years and in at least five years of an 8.5‑year drought, with flows below the minimum not occurring more than two consecutive years.
  • The resolution noted the CAC’s 10–1 vote (the lone dissenting vote came from the BAWSCA CEO representative). No commission vote was taken on the resolution.

Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency Report

• A BAWSCA representative updated the commission on conservation efforts: workshops on the state’s “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” mandate, the success of a statewide non‑functional turf toolkit (32,000 users), and upcoming landscape classes. He also thanked SFPUC staff for hosting tours of the water system.

Update on General Manager Selection Process

• Commissioner Stacy reported that the recruitment period closes October 16, 2026. She will attend CAC and BAWSCA meetings to gather input. A staff and public survey received 236 staff and nearly 100 public responses; results will be shared after the closing date. Commissioner Jamdar expressed concern that the survey may not have reached all community members. No further action was taken.

Mountain Tunnel Improvements Project (Item 11)

• Project manager Randy Anderson requested a $13,270,000 cost‑contingency increase and a 150‑day duration‑contingency increase for Contract No. HH‑1000R to resolve outstanding disputes with the contractor. The disputed amount was negotiated from $60 million to $18.27 million, with $5 million covered by existing contingency. Commissioner Thurlow queried overlap with a previous $15 million increase; Anderson explained that $5 million of the earlier increase was applied to these disputes. The commission approved the request unanimously.

Wastewater Enterprise WIFIA Loan Agreement Amendment (Item 12)

• Loans and Grants Director Alexandra Gunnell presented an amendment to extend the master loan availability period from April 2028 to April 2033 and to update eligible project descriptions. The amendment does not create new debt. The commission approved unanimously.

Outer Mission Green Nodes Project Grant (Item 13)

• Sarah Minick (Wastewater Enterprise) described a partnership with SFMTA and Public Works to construct green stormwater infrastructure near three schools, capturing 2.7 million gallons of stormwater annually. The project’s construction cost is $6.7 million, with a $5 million EPA grant offset. The commission authorized the General Manager to request Board of Supervisors approval to accept and expend the grant. Approved unanimously.

2026–2028 Wildfire Mitigation Plan (Item 14)

• Ethan Billigmeyer (Hetch Hetchy Water and Power) presented the plan, reporting that 100% of performance metrics (pole inspections, tree removals, equipment upgrades) were met. One ignition at San Antonio Reservoir remains under investigation by CAL FIRE. Commissioners Stacy and Thurlow commended the plan and asked about the recloser policy and the timeline for converting all poles to 4292‑exempt equipment. The plan was adopted unanimously.

Southern Skyline Boulevard Ridge Trail Extension (Item 15)

• Project manager Mary Tinken requested a 120‑day duration extension (no cost change) to allow completion of as‑built survey work. The trail is already open to the public. Approved unanimously.

San Joaquin Pipeline Valve and Safe Entry Improvements (Item 16)

• Project manager Maria Garcia Baeza requested a $3,600,000 cost‑contingency increase to procure 14 six‑segment couplings, with no change to duration. Approved unanimously.

Communications and Closed Session (Items 17–22)

• No discussion on communications or commissioner‑initiated items. No public comment on closed session. The commission voted unanimously to assert attorney‑client privilege. After closed session, the commission reported that it recommends approval of the items referenced under agenda item 20. A motion to disclose the closed‑session discussion was not carried (vote not recorded in the transcript).

Key Outcomes

• Officers elected: Steve Leverone (President), Susan Stacy (Vice President).
• Minutes approved as amended.
• Consent calendar approved (contracts for pipe inspection, lining, and Hetch Hetchy services).
• Contract amendments approved: Mountain Tunnel Improvements ($13.27M, 150 days), WIFIA master availability extension, Outer Mission Green Nodes grant acceptance, Wildfire Mitigation Plan adoption, Ridge Trail duration extension (120 days), and San Joaquin Pipeline contingency increase ($3.6M).
• Grant authorization: General Manager authorized to accept $5M EPA grant for Outer Mission Green Nodes.
• No vote taken on the CAC salmon‑restoration resolution; it was presented and discussed.
• Closed session: Attorney‑client privilege asserted; no disclosure of discussion.