AGENDA ITEM
Public Utilities Commission
City and County of San Francisco
DEPARTMENT: Business Services AGENDA NO. 8
MEETING DATE: April 25, 2023
Approval of the FY 2022-23 Overtime Supplemental Request Manager: Laura Busch
Summary of Proposed
Commission Action:
Approve an increase to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission FY 2022-23 overtime budget by $1,500,000 and an offsetting decrease in the regular salary budget of $1,500,000 to cover the anticipated overspend in overtime through the end of the fiscal year; and authorize the General Manager to request the Mayor to submit a supplemental appropriation request to the Board of Supervisors.
Background &
Description:
San Francisc o Administrative Code Section 3.17 requires certain City departments, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), to obtain Board of Supervisors approval if the department expects to spend more on overtime than the amount appropriated in its annual budget. The Controller’s Office has developed the FY 2022- 23 citywide Overtime Supplemental Ordinance, and the SFPUC will join other City departments with a joint request.
The primary driver of the overtime increase is SFPUC’s response to this season’s winter storms. Based on the expenditures to date and projected spending through June 30, 2023, an additional $1,500,000 is needed:
$800,000 for Wastewater, $450,000 for Water, and $250,000 for Hetch Hetchy. This additional overtime spending will be offset with reductions to the regular salary budget due to vacancy savings, resulting in no net budgetary increase . Please note the FY 20 22-23 overtime budget was set in February 2022 during the SFPUC biennial budget process. The following factors contribut e to projected additional overtime spending.
Wastewater Enterprise
The primary drivers for the $800,000 additional overtime spending in Wastewater include the following:
Planning, preparation, and response to wet weather events : includes field actions such as temporary flood barrier installations ahead of forecasted heavy rains and throughout the duration of those heavy rain events, deployment of Collection Systems wet weather field crews across the city, and staffing of the North Point Wet Weather Facility.
Significant storm events are forecasted to continue until season end, resulting in a shortage of personnel and the additional need for overtime.
Level of Service targets: to respond to 311 tickets that are generated during wet weather events.
Emergency response: crews responding to critical equipment failures.
Water Enterprise
The primary drivers for the $450,000 overtime deficit in Water inclu de planning, preparation, and response to increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events has resulted in increasing levels of requests from:
Water Supply and Treatment : Maintenance staff responding to urgent requests at water treatment facilities for critical repairs, power outages and facility support; and increased Sunol operations coverage through the duration of the annual Mountain Tunnel ( Hetch Hetchy) shutdown for improvements.
Natural Resources: Watershed staff assessing and repairing damage to watershed infrastructure, responding to access issues created by landslides and downed trees, monitoring conditions due to longer wildfire seasons, and work associated with increased watershed closures due to road closures, downed powerlines, and red flag warnings.
Water Quality:
Environmental services staff conducting standards and
repeat wet-weather sampling and laboratory staff conducting sample analysis.
Hetch Hetchy Enterprise
The primary drivers for the $250,000 in additional overtime spending in the Hetch Hetchy Enterprise include:
Hetchy Power : an increase in service requests associated with the current winter storms resulted in emergency work to restore affected electrical and streetlighting infrastructure. This emergency work compounded an ongoing inability to recruit additional personnel to meet growing service demand and adequate staff to handle increased service requests.
Hetchy Water: Continuing winter storms have caused multiple roadway failures and countless rockslides significantly impairing access to essential facilities; vegetation management for wildfire mitigation will increase due to the amount of rain; and continuing staffing shortages have also impacted the overtime.
Result of Inaction: SFPUC would be incompliant with Administrative Code Section 3.17
Budget & Costs:
FY 2022-23 Overtime Budget
Original
Budget
Estimated
Spending
Shortfall
Wastewater 2,445,584 3,245,584 (800,000)
Water 2,287,544 2,762,544 (450,000)
Hetch Hetchy 1,015,002 1,255,002 (250,000) (1,500,000) The shortfalls will be offset with reductions to the regular salary budget.
Environmental Review: This action does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378(b)(2) because the action is a continuing administrative activity.
Recommendation: SFPUC staff recommends that the Commission adopt the attached resolution.
APPROVAL:
COMMISSION
SECRETARY Donna Hood
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
City and County of San Francisco
RESOLUTION NO.
WHEREAS, The General Manager proposes an increase the overtime salary budget in the adopted FY 2022-23 Operating Budget and associated reductions in the regular salary budget with no net budgetary change; and
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Administrati ve Code Section 3.17 requires certain City departments, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission ( SFPUC), that expect to spend more overtime than the amount so appropriated must first obtain a supplemental ordinance for the purpose; and
WHEREAS, During the fiscal year to date, the Wastewater, Water, and Hetch Hetchy Enterprises have used more overtime than planned, primarily due to the impact of storms over the past several months; and
WHEREAS, Based on the adopted SFPUC overtime budget , the Wastewater Enterprise projects a $800,000 shortfall, the Water Enterprise projects a $450,000 shortfall , and the Hetch Hetchy Enterprise projects a $250,000 shortfall, all to be offset with associated reductions in the salary budget; and
WHEREAS, This action does not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Guidelines section 15378(b)(2) because the action is a continuing administrative activity; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Commission hereby approves the increase of $1, 500,000 to the Adopted FY 2022-23 SFPUC Operating Budget for overtime salary expense with associated regular salary budget reductions and authorizes the General Manager to submit to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors a supplemental appropriation request in the foresaid amount.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Public Utilities Commission at its meeting of April 25, 2023.
Secretary, Public Utilities Commission