San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

The agenda for this meeting, held via teleconference, included administrative matters such as the approval of the August 16, 2022, minutes. Key discussions covered quarterly reports from Audit and Performance Review, Budget Status, and Capital Financing Plan updates. Enterprise-specific reviews included a drought conditions update, water pipeline assessment, BAWSCA update, and reports on capital improvement programs for Water and Wastewater Enterprises. The Power Enterprise section covered Hetch Hetchy capital improvements, CleanPowerSF updates, and Franchise Compliance Reports. The committee was scheduled to discuss and possibly take action on a resolution allowing teleconferenced meetings, receive a Commissioner Update, and review presentations on the SFPUC Hiring Overview and the Social Impact Partnership (SIP) Update.

The meeting featured a presentation and introduction from new SFPUC Commissioner Vice President Joshua Arce, who outlined his priorities focusing on affordability, reliable service, green environmental stewardship, and understanding rate structures. Public comment included concerns regarding the transparency and accountability of the Social Impact Partnership (SIP) Program, community benefits, and the use of funds for non-profits, as well as criticism directed towards Commissioner Arce's references to past associations. The committee also received a detailed Community Benefits Division Update, covering topics such as the Arts Program, College Hill Learning Garden, Environmental Justice Program, and the SIP Program structure. Discussions followed regarding staff allocation for environmental justice, the selection process for Southeast Community Center partners, contractor oversight in SIP, and measuring local hiring outcomes. Finally, the committee discussed and agreed to table the vote on an amendment to the SFPUC CAC Rules of Order regarding filling leadership vacancies until the next meeting.

The meeting included a report from Commissioner Vice President Arce regarding the Treasure Island (TI) power outage issue, noting that the SFPUC is awaiting approval from the Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA) for a $400,000 express feeder to improve reliability for legacy housing residents. Committee members requested further analysis on preventative models for outages. Public comments addressed the SFPUC's water demand projections, calling them flawed and urging support for the Bay Delta plan flows. A presentation was given on Trust and Transparency: Racial Equity Updates, detailing key takeaways from the 2023 Racial Equity Survey and strategic initiatives like the mentoring program, with discussion focusing on prioritizing qualitative data for evaluating program success and addressing challenges in engaging field staff. Several SFPUC reports were also noted for future reference, including updates on the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, Capital Financing Plan, and various enterprise reports.

The meeting commenced with a roll call and included a report from the Chair highlighting the adoption of CAC resolutions at a recent Commission meeting and the announcement of a newly appointed member. Key discussion centered on a presentation and discussion regarding the Flood Resilience Study Findings. Topics covered included flooding background, the role of the collection system, historic waterways, flood protection policy options, economic modeling, and benefit-cost analysis. Committee members engaged in detailed questioning regarding the study's methodology, specifically concerning the incorporation of climate change (sea level rise), handling of shoreline flooding versus collection system backup, the inclusion of green infrastructure projects, and the assumption of ratepayer funding versus the City's General Fund for necessary investments. Public comments expressed significant concern over the demonstrated inability of the current system to handle lesser storms, resulting in sewer water backup into homes, and questioned the study's low public health risk assessment. Staff also provided updates on member reappointments and future agenda items, including stormwater rates and the agency's response to resident flooding concerns.

Key discussions focused on providing recommendations to the SFPUC General Manager, Commission, and Board of Supervisors regarding strategic, financial, and capital improvement plans. A significant portion of the meeting involved a detailed discussion with SFPUC Commissioner Vice President Joshua Arce regarding ongoing and prolonged power and gas outages on Treasure Island, emphasizing infrastructure reliability and the need to move from reactive repairs to a preventative maintenance model. The committee also discussed amendments to the CAC Rules of Order, conducted Officer Elections resulting in Eli Perszyk as Chair, Jodi Soboll as Vice Chair, and Mikah Pinkston as Secretary, and addressed SFPUC transparency/public engagement, financial risk related to federal administration changes, and strategies for increasing in-stream water flows during drought years to support salmon populations. Future agenda items include reviewing several SFPUC reports and discussing State Bill SB 350 regarding low-income rate assistance.