OUR MISSION: To provide our customers with high-quality, efficient and reliable water, power and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.
525 Golden Gate Avenue, 13th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.554.3155
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TTY 415.554.3488
Date: March 26, 2024
To: Commissioner Tim Paulson, President
Commissioner Anthony Rivera, Vice President
Commissioner Newsha K. Ajami
Commissioner Sophie Maxwell
Commissioner Kate H. Stacy
Through: Dennis Herrera, General Manager
From: Laura Busch, Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Subject: SFPUC FY 2023-24 Overtime Supplemental
San Francisco Administrative Code Section 3.17 requires certain City departments, including the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), to obtain Board of Supervisors approval if they expect to spend more on overtime than the amount appropriated in their annual budget. The Mayor’s Office has developed the FY 2023-24 citywide Overtime Supplemental Ordinance, presented to the Board of Supervisors on March 20, 2024. The SFPUC joined other City departments with this joint request. The need for additional overtime in City Public Safety departments (Fire, Police, Sheriff), is far greater than in SFPUC’s request.
SFPUC FY 2023-24 Overtime to Exceed Budget
Original
Budget
Estimated
Spending Shortfall
Wastewater 2,445,584 3,045,584 (600,000)
Water 2,307,815 2,657,815 (350,000)
SFPUC projected Shortfall
(950,000)
Through the supplemental request, SFPUC would be compliant with Administrative Code Section 3.17.
Based on the expenditures to date and projected spending through June 30, 2023, an additional $950,000 in overtime is needed; $600,000 for Wastewater, and $350,000 for Water. This additional overtime spending will be offset with reductions to the salary budget due to vacancy savings, resulting in no net budgetary increase. Please note the FY 2023-24 overtime budget was set in February 2022 during the SFPUC biennial budget process. The following factors contribute to projected additional overtime spending.
Wastewater Enterprise
The primary drivers for the $600,000 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 events, deployment of Collection Systems wet weather field crews across the city, and staffing of the North Point Wet Weather Facility; responding to 311 tickets that are generated during wet weather events; and emergency crews responding to critical equipment failures.
Water Enterprise
The primary drivers for the $350,000 overtime deficit in Water include planning, preparation, and response to wet weather events:
Natural Resources: Watershed staff assessing and repairing damage to watershed infrastructure including downed trees, road damage and other red flag warnings.
Water Quality: Environmental services staff conducting standards and repeat wet-weather sampling and laboratory staff conducting sample analysis to meet regulatory requirements.
This is a routine request that typically happens annually. SFPUC has attempted to right-size the overtime budget by increasing it in next year’s budget. However, given that overtime is driven by weather events, it is hard to predict.
Please note that these overtime projections are already factored into the Quarterly Budget Variance reports presented to the Commission.
cc: Nancy L. Hom, Chief Financial Officer and AGM, Business Services