SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
City and County of San Francisco
Daniel Lurie
Mayor
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
1:30 PM
(Approved February 11, 2025)
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall, Room 400
Commissioners
Kate H. Stacy, President
Joshua Arce, Vice President
Avni Jamdar
Stephen E. Leveroni
Dennis J. Herrera
General Manager
Tiffany Lennear
Director of Commission Affairs
SFPUC JANUARY 28, 2025 MEETING MINUTES Page 2 of 6
ORDER OF BUSINESS
1. Call to Order
President Stacy called the meeting to order at 1:30 P.M.
2. Roll Call
Present: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
3. Approval of the Minutes of January 14, 2025
No public comment provided.
On motion to approve the minutes of January 14, 2025:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
4. General Public Comment
• Francisco Da Costa provided comment relating to the wildfires in Southern California and what a similar catastrophe could do to San Francisco. • Dave Warner provided comment relating to biased and incomplete information regarding demand and supply projections, drop planning, financial planning, and rates and affordability.
5. Report of the General Manager (discussion only)
a) San Francisco Water Supply Planning
Steve Ritchie, Assistant General Manager, presented the report.
• Tom Smegal, BAWSCA CEO, provided comment relating to the level of service goal that is part of the agreement between BAWSCA and the SFPUC. • Francisco Da Costa provided comment urging SFPUC to perform a needs assessment for the City of San Francisco and he stated that the water belongs to the indigenous people.
• Jason Foster provided comment thanking Steve Ritchie and General Manager Herrera for the summary of planning priorities and considerations; and, he noted additional priorities: highwater quality, high reliability, accommodating growth, mitigating the risk of curtailment, climate change, etc.
• Peter Drekmeier, Tuolumne River Trust Director, provided comment relating to his disappointment in the presentation and suggested the SFPUC provide a workshop.
• Dave Warner provided comment relating to his appreciation for Steve Ritchie and further commented on the lack of data that was available in the past.
b) SFPUC Employee Retirement Recognition for 25+ Years of Service • Michael Lacey, Wastewater Enterprise
• Frank McPartland, Finance Team
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No public comment provided.
c) Report on Recent San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Activities, Events and Announcements
No report provided.
6. Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency Report Tom Smegal, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency Chief Executive Officer/General Manager presented the report.
• Peter Drekmeier provided comment regarding the recent audit and questioned why BAWSCA was unaware of the issues.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
a) Award Contract WW-741R, Various Locations Spot Main Sewer Replacement No. 1, to the responsible bidder that submitted the lowest responsive bid, K.J. Woods Construction, Inc., in the amount of $6,188,000 and with a duration of 410 consecutive calendar days (approximately one year and two months), to replace/line existing sewers on specified streets in the City and County of San Francisco. This action constitutes the Approval Action for the Project for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to San Francisco Administrative Code section 31.04(h). The Planning Department has determined that the Project is exempt from the CEQA. The Commission will rely on that determination to make its decision on this action. (25-0011) No public comment provided.
On motion to approve Consent Calendar Item 7a:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
REGULAR CALENDAR
8. Approve the First Amended Joint Powers Agreement of the San Joaquin Tributaries Authority. (25-0012)
Steve Ritchie, Assistant General Manager, presented the report.
No public comment provided.
On motion to approve Item 8:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
9. Approve the Water Supply Assessment for the proposed 447 Battery Street and 530 Sansome Street Project, pursuant to California Water Code Section 10910 et seq., SFPUC JANUARY 28, 2025 MEETING MINUTES Page 4 of 6
California Environmental Quality Act Section 21151.9, and CEQA Guidelines Section 15155. (25-0013)
Steve Ritchie, Assistant General Manager, presented the report. • Peter Drekmeier provided comment relating to the project and the water need for housing.
• Nick Roosevelt, Land Use Counsel, provided clarification regarding a revised project.
On motion to approve Item 9:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
10. Award Contract No. WD-2900, Millbrae Campus Improvements, to Clark Construction Group – California, LP, as Construction Manager/General Contractor, for a total contract amount not to exceed $268,932,944 and with a duration of 2,343 consecutive calendar days (approximately six years and six months); and authorize proceeding only with pre-construction services during the design phase in the not-to-exceed amount of $5,114,166 with a duration of 1,380 consecutive calendar days (approximately three years and ten months), within the total contract amount and duration, to construct the Millbrae Campus Improvements Project including: renovate existing buildings into industrial shop and storage buildings; construct a new two-story combined laboratory and office building; and retrofit the Administration Building. (25-0014)
Tracy Cael, Project Manager, presented the report.
• Jason Foster provided comment stating there was a lot of good material that was presented.
On motion to approve Item 10:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
11. Approve an increase of 300 calendar days to the duration contingency for Contract No.
WD-2878A, Regional Groundwater Storage and Recovery Phase 2A, with Marinship Development Interest LLC, for a revised duration limit of up to 1,258 consecutive calendar days (approximately three years and six months), with no change to contract amount, to provide additional time to properly install vertical turbine lineshafts with the approved operation and maintenance manual. (25-0015)
Tracy Cael, Project Manager, presented the report.
No public comment provided.
On motion to approve Item 11:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
SFPUC JANUARY 28, 2025 MEETING MINUTES Page 5 of 6
12. Approve an increase of $350,000 to the cost contingency and an increase of 140 calendar days to the duration contingency for Contract No. WW-719A, Folsom Area Stormwater Improvements – SOMA and Mission Districts Sewer Replacement, with Mitchell Engineering, for a revised cost limit of up to $8,624,245 and a revised duration limit to 697 consecutive calendar days (approximately one year and ten months), due to a safety work stoppage and investigation after the Contractor damaged the MUNI overhead catenary wires on 11th Street, multiple demobilizations and remobilizations to accommodate Special Event street fair closures on 11th Street, cost overruns on a brick sewer repair, and due to an unforeseen conflict with an unidentified drainage pipe, with no change to the locations or alignments of work. (25-0016) Derek Adams, Project Manager, presented the report.
No public comment provided.
On motion to approve Item 12:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
13. COMMUNICATIONS (information only)
a. Advance Calendar
b. Contract Advertisement Report
c. Correspondence Log
d. Water Supply Conditions Update
e. Green Infrastructure Grant Program: Board of Supervisors Quarterly Update f. Quarterly Report on Delegated Actions to the GM for Q3 and Q4 Pursuant to Commission Resolution 24-0185
g. Fiscal Year 2023-24 Report on the CleanPowerSF Program Pursuant to Administrative Code Section 21.43(e)
14. Items initiated by Commissioners (discussion only)
No items were approved.
15. Public Comment on the matter to be addressed during Closed Session No public comment provided.
16. Motion on whether to assert the attorney-client privilege regarding the matters listed below:
On motion to asset the attorney-client privilege:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
The Commission entered Closed Session at 3:22 P.M.
SFPUC JANUARY 28, 2025 MEETING MINUTES Page 6 of 6
CLOSED SESSION
SFPUC Officials and Staff members present during Closed Session: Kate Stacy, Commission President; Joshua Arce, Commission Vice President; Commissioner Avni Jamdar; Commissioner Stephen Leveroni; Dennis Herrera, General Manage; Sheryl Bregman, General Counsel, Steve Ritchie, Assistant General Manager, Jannie Ram, Executive Assistant; and Tiffany Lennear, Director of Commission Affairs.
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL regarding existing litigation (Government Code §54956.9(d), San Francisco Administrative Code §67.10(d):
Ralph Bower, et al. v. City and County of San Francisco San Francisco Superior Court Case No.: CGC-23-605730
Date Filed: April 10, 2023
Proposed settlement of personal injury claim with the City and County of San Francisco to pay plaintiff Veronica Fulton $40,000, in exchange for a full and final release, subject to final approval by the Board of Supervisors. (action item) (25-0017) The Commission exited Closed Session at 3:35 P.M.
17. Announcement following Closed Session
President Stacy stated that the Commission recommends the Board of Supervisors approve the settlement referenced under Item 16.
18. Motion regarding whether to disclose the discussion during Closed Session pursuant to San Francisco Administrative Code Section 67.12(a).
On motion not to disclose:
Ayes: Stacy, Arce, Jamdar, and Leveroni
19. Adjournment
President Stacy adjourned the meeting at 3:37 P.M.