DEPARTMENT
Infrastructure Division
AGENDA NO. 6b
MEETING DATE
March 10, 2026
AGENDA ITEM
Public Utilities Commission
City and County of San Francisco
Calendar: Consent Calendar
Project Manager: Jimmy Leong
Award Contract No. HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair
Summary of Proposed
Commission Action:
Award Contract No. HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair, to the responsible bidder that submitted the lowest responsive bid, Njirich & Sons, Inc., in the amount of $8,674,300, and with a contract duration of 455 consecutive calendar days (approximately one year and three months), to re-establish the flow path of the Cherry Valley Dam spillway which was damaged in a spill event in 2010, and to repair the concrete and replace the bridge deck overlay of the Eleanor Dam Bridge. This action constitutes the Approval Action for the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair
Project for the purposes of the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to San Francisco Administrative Code S ection 31.04(h) . The San Francisco Planning Department has determined that the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project is exempt from the CEQA. The Commission will
rely on the
determination to make its decision on this action.
Background: The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Water Enterprise owns and operates Cherry Valley Dam and Eleanor Dam, both located in Tuolumne County, California, as part of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System.
Cherry Valley Dam, constructed in 1956, impounds Cherry Valley Reservoir to provide recreation, support hydroelectric power generation, and serve as an emergency backup water supply for the San Francisco Bay Area.
To manage high water levels and prevent overtopping, the dam is equipped with an overflow spillway channel that serves as a safety feature by providing a controlled path for excess water to flow downstream. In 2010, an overflow from the dam discharged approximately 1,500 cubic feet per second of water, causing a landslide that blocked the spillway channel and redirected flows, resulting in flooding near the Cherry Power Tunnel Adit and backcountry campground areas downstream. For safety and operational reliability, the SFPUC initiated a short-term improvement project to rebuild the damaged section and re -establish the original flow path of the Cherry Valley Dam spillway.
Eleanor Dam is a historic multiple -arch concrete structure built in 1918. It impounds Lake Eleanor , which served as an early source of water and hydroelectric power for workers during the building of O’Shaughnessy Agenda Title: HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Commission Meeting Date: March 10, 2026
Dam. Eleanor Reservoir has continued to provide reliable water storage , supporting hydroelectric power generation and serving as an emergency backup water supply for the San Francisco Bay Area. A 10-foot-wide, 1,177- foot-long bridge deck spans the dam crest, serving as the only access across the dam. After more than a century of service, the bridge deck shows signs of deterioration. While a full replacement is planned in 15 years, interim repairs are necessary to extend the bridge deck’s service life and ensure safe access until the permanent replacement is completed.
Scope of Contract: The work to be performed is in Tuolumne County, California.
The contract work consists of:
Cherry Valley Dam Spillway:
• Removing trees and landslide debris within the spillway channel • Re-building an embankment to contain the flow within the original discharge channel flow path
• Installing erosion protection
• Constructing access improvements
Eleanor Dam Bridge:
• Repairing concrete and replacing the deck overlay atop the Eleanor Dam Bridge
• Constructing access improvements
Funding and Costs: Funding Source: Hetchy Capital Improvement Program Project No. 10014115, Cherry Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement Project No. 10030759 Eleanor Dam and Bridge Rehabilitation Engineer’s Estimate: $13,500,000
Award Amount: $8,674,300
Schedule: Estimated Notice-to-Proceed Date: May 2026
Estimated End Date: August 2027
Duration: 455 consecutive calendar days (395 consecutive calendar days to Substantial Completion and an additional 60 consecutive calendar days to Final Completion)
Agenda Title: HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Commission Meeting Date: March 10, 2026
Bid History:
Advertised: November 6, 2025
Bids Received: On December 11, 2025, the SFPUC received three sealed bids, as follows:
Bid Rank Base Bid
Amount
Compensable
Delay
(15-day
Duration)
LBE Bid
Discount
Adjusted
Bid
1. Njirich & Sons,
Inc. $8,674,300 $7,500 2% $8,508,164
2. Sierra Mountain
Construction,
Inc./Obayashi Joint
Venture
$10,708,600 $15 N/A $10,708,615
3. Anvil Builders,
Inc. $10,964,215 $225,000 N/A $11,189,215
According to the Contract Monitoring Division, only Njirich & Sons, Inc. is eligible for a bid discount.
Because the SFPUC anticipates that potential unforeseen conditions or other factors outside of the contractor’s control may impact the schedule, Staff included a requirement in the Advertisement for Bids for bidders to provide a daily compensable time extension rate. At the bid opening, Staff announced that SFPUC would use the value of 15 days to calculate the Compensable Delay bid adjustment amount. Staff used the daily rate from the bids to determine the total Compensable Delay values shown in the table above by multiplying the bidder’s daily rate times 15.
The Adjusted Bid
value in the table above is the sum of the Base Bid and Compensable Delay less any applicable Local Business Enterprise ( LBE) bid discounts. Staff used the Adjusted Bid value to compare and rank the bids to determine the lowest bidder. However, the contract award amount is the Base Bid value (not the Adjusted Bid value) and, if the Commission awards the contract, the bidder’s daily compensable delay rate will become a term of the contract.
Protest: On December 18, 2025, the SFPUC received a protest letter from Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc./Obayashi Joint Venture , protesting the bid submitted by Njirich & Son s, Inc. On December 23, 2025, Njirich & Sons, Inc., provided a response to the protest. O n February 13, 2026, a fter review of the protest , response, and rebuttals, the Contract Administration Bureau, in consultation with the City Attorney and the Contract Monitoring Division, deemed the protest to be without merit and issued a determination letter. Njirich & Sons, Inc., was determined to be the responsible bidder that submitted the lowest responsive bid.
Environmental
Review:
On December 31, 2025, the San Francisco Planning Department issued the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Agenda Title: HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Commission Meeting Date: March 10, 2026
1 https://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/public-notices-and-public-meeting-notices 2 https://sfplanning.org/environmental-review-documents Short-Term Improvement Project under Case No. 2022 -000353ENV, prepared pursuant to the CEQA.
By Memorandum on January 6, 2026, Staff made CEQA Findings, adopted the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and administratively approved the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project. P ublic notification of this administrative (first) approval action was provided via the SFPUC ’s public notification webpage1, the San Francisco Planning Department ’s website2, and by mailed letter to the four commenters on the Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration. No comments were received on this notification, nor were there any appeals of the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
On October 7, 2025, the San Francisco Planning Department determined the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project to be categorically exempt from environmental review under the CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Class 1 (Existing Facilities) under Case No. 2025-007117ENV.
The work under the proposed contract is within the scope of the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement Project as authorized under the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project as authorized under the exemption.
The projects have been combined into one contract for contracting convenience, and each project has independent utility under the CEQA.
This action constitutes the Approval Action for the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project for the purposes of the
CEQA, pursuant to San
Francisco Administrative Code Section 31.04(h).
The Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the January 6, 2026 , first approval (administrative) Memorandum with the CEQA Findings and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program are at:
https://sfpuc.sharefile.com/public/share/web-
s6defc8479c974be5a3edbd9fec15e29c
The Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project exemption determination is at:
https://sfpuc.sharefile.com/public/share/web-
s13557d1a111c499987bf4852e62ff49a
Local Business
Enterprise Utilization
and Non-
The Contract Monitoring Division established a 10% LBE subcontracting requirement for this contract. The contractor committed to a 13.83% LBE subcontractor participation with its bid submittal.
Agenda Title: HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Commission Meeting Date: March 10, 2026
Discrimination in
Contracting:
Attachment(s): 1. Contract Monitoring Division Memorandum Agenda Title: HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Commission Meeting Date: March 10, 2026
SITE LOCATION MAPS
HH-1022 CHERRY VALLEY DAM SPILLWAY SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENT AND
ELEANOR DAM BRIDGE INTERIM REPAIR
Work will occur at Cherry and Eleanor Dams.
Project Locations in the maps (red dots) below
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
City and County of San Francisco
RESOLUTION NO.
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Water Enterprise owns and operates Cherry Valley Dam and Eleanor Dam, both located in Tuolumne County, California, as part of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System. Cherry Valley Dam, constructed in 1956, impounds Cherry Valley Reservoir . In 2010, an overflow from the dam discharged approximately 1,500 cubic feet per second of water, causing a landslide that blocked the spillway channel and redirected flows, resulting in flooding near the Cherry Power Tunnel Adit and backcountry campground areas downstream. For safety and operational reliability, the SFPUC initiated a short- term improvement project to rebuild the damaged section and re-establish the original flow path of the Cherry Valley Dam spillway; and
WHEREAS, Eleanor Dam, a historic multiple -arch concrete structure built in 1918, impounds Lake Eleanor . A 10-foot-wide, 1,177-foot-long bridge deck spans the dam crest and serves as the only access across the dam. After more than a century of service, the bridge deck exhibits deterioration. While a full replacement is planned in approximately 15 years, the SFPUC initiated interim repairs to extend the bridge’s service life and maintain safe access until the permanent replacement project is completed; and
WHEREAS, On November 6, 2025, SFPUC advertised Contract No. HH-1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair; and
WHEREAS, The Engineer’s Estimate is $13,500,000 for this construction work focusing on rebuilding an embankment at Cherry Valley Dam Spillway, and repair concrete and replace deck overlay of the Eleanor Dam Bridge; and
WHEREAS, The contract duration is 455 consecutive calendar days; and
WHEREAS, On December 11, 2025, SFPUC received and publicly opened three bids; and
WHEREAS, SFPUC staff and Contract Monitoring Division (CMD) reviewed the bids and application of bid preferences and have determined that Njirich & Sons, Inc., is the responsible bidder with the lowest responsive bid; and
WHEREAS, The CMD established a 10% Local Business Enterprise (LBE) subcontracting requirement for this contract, and Njirich & Sons, Inc., committed to 13.83% LBE participation in its bid submittal; and
WHEREAS, On December 31, 2025, the San Francisco Planning Department issued the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short- Term Improvement Project under Case No. 2022-000353ENV, prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and
WHEREAS, By Memorandum on January 6, 2026, Staff made CEQA Findings, adopted the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and administratively approved the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project; public notification of this administrative (first) approval action was provided via the SFPUC ’s public notification webpage3, the San Francisco Planning Department’s website4, and by mailed letter to the four commenters on the Preliminary Mitigated Negative Declaration; and no comments were received on this notification, nor were there any appeals of the Mitigated Negative Declaration; and
WHEREAS, On October 7, 2025, the San Francisco Planning Department determined the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project to be categorically exempt from environmental review under the CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Class 1 (Existing Facilities) ,under Case No. 2025- 007117ENV; and
WHEREAS, The work under the proposed contract is within the scope of the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement Project as authorized under the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project as authorized under the exemption; and
WHEREAS, The projects have been combined into one contract for contracting convenience, and each project has independent utility under the CEQA; and
WHEREAS, The San Francisco Planning Department is the custodian of records located in the file for Case No. 2022-000353ENV and Case No. 2025-007117ENV at 49 South Van Ness Avenue, Suite 1400, San Francisco, California, 94103, which have been made available for review by this Commission and the public, and those files are part of the record before this Commission; and
WHEREAS, Staff has made the Project files, including the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration, the January 6, 2026 first approval (administrative) Memorandum with the CEQA Findings and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program , and the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project exemption determination available for review by this Commission and the public, and those files are part of the record before this Commission, and
WHEREAS, This Commission has reviewed and considered the information contained in the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration; the January 6, 2026, first approval (administrative) Memorandum with the CEQA Findings and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project exemption determination; and all written and oral information provided by the San Francisco Planning Department, the public, relevant public age ncies, SFPUC staff , and other experts, and the administrative files for the Project; and
3 https://www.sfpuc.gov/about-us/public-notices-and-public-meeting-notices 4 https://sfplanning.org/environmental-review-documents
WHEREAS, Funds are available from Project No. 10014115, Cherry Dam Spillway Short- Term Improvement and Project No. 10030759, Eleanor Dam and Bridge Rehabilitation; now, therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, That t his Commission has reviewed and considered the information contained in the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project exemption determination and the record as a whole, and finds that the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project exemption determination are adequate for its use as the decision–making body for the Project, and incorporates the CEQA Findings and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Cherry Valley Dam Spillw ay Short-Term Improvement Project adopted in the January 6, 2026 first approval (administrative) Memorandum by reference thereto as though set forth in this resolution; and, be it,
FURTHER RESOLVED, That this Commission further finds that since the Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short -Term Improvement Project Final Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair Project exemption determination were finalized, there have been no substantial changes to either project and no substantial changes in the circumstances of either project that would require major revisions to them due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or an increase in the severit y of previously identified significant impacts, and there is no new information of substantial importance that would change the conclusions set forth in them; and, be it,
FURTHER RESOLVED, That this Commission hereby awards Contract No. HH- 1022, Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Replacement, in the amount of $8,674,300, and with a duration of 455 consecutive calendar days, to the responsible bidder that submitted the lowest responsive bid, Njirich & Sons, Inc.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission at its meeting of March 10, 2026.
Director of Commission Affairs
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
City & County of San Francisco
Daniel L. Lurie, Mayor
Office of the City Administrator
Carmen Chu, City Administrator
Contract Monitoring Division
Regina Chan, Director
1455 Market Street, Suite 16A, San Francisco, CA 94103
Telephone (415) 554 0630
MEMORANDUM
Date: February 3, 2026
To: Jimmy Leong, SFPUC
Erica Liang, SFPUC
From: Jovi Cuntapay-Vitin, CMD
Subject:CMD Review of Bids Submitted on December 11, 2025 for HH-1022 Cherry Valley Dam Spillway Short-Term Improvement and Eleanor Dam Bridge Interim Repair
Njirich & Sons, Inc. is the apparent low bidder after the bid discount.
The bid discount was applied to bidders who are certified by the Contract Monitoring Division, (“CMD”) as an LBE in the type of work that is specified for the bidder by the Contract Awarding Authority. [Sec. 14B.7(D)].
Bidder
LBE Status,
Type and
Size
Base Bid
Bid
Discount
Compensable
Delay
(15 days)
Adjusted Bid
with
Bid Discount &
Compensable
Delay
Njirich & Sons, Inc. PUC LBE-
WBE (Micro)
$8,674,300.00 2% $7,500.00 $8,508,164.00
Sierra Mountain
Construction, Inc. /
Obayashi JV
Non-LBE
$10,708,600.00
N/A $15.00 $10,708,615.00
Anvil Builders, Inc. Non-LBE
$10,964,215.00
N/A $225,000.00 $11,189,215.00
Njirich & Sons, Inc. satisfactorily demonstrated how they will meet the LBE subcontractor participation requirement.
A combination of Micro-LBE and Small-LBE participation will count toward LBE subcontractor participation compliance. Njirich & Sons, Inc.’s commitment for this contract:
Requirement % Commitment %
Micro/Small LBE 10% 13.83%
In their bid, Njirich & Sons, Inc. listed the following subcontractors on this contract:
Supplier Name Scope of Work LBE LBE Size LBE
Percent
Percent of
Work Amount
Mountain
Methods, Inc.
Partial General
Engineering
Construction (A)
PUC
LBE-
MBE
Micro 100% 9.22% $800,000.00
JB Excavation, Inc.
Partial General
Engineering
Construction (A)
PUC
LBE-
MBE
Micro 100% 4.61% $400,000.00
TPA Construction,
Inc.
Partial Bridge Repair
and Overlay
10.86% $942,360.00
SFPUC utilizes the SOLIS system. For ease of entry, included here are the figures captured by SOLIS:
LBE Subcontractor
LBE Category, Type
and Economic
Threshold
Listed Original
Participation
Amount
Participation
Amount Subject
to LBE Goal
CMD
Awarded
LBE Goal %
Mountain Methods, Inc. PUC LBE-MBE (Micro) $800,000.00 $800,000.00 9.22% JB Excavation, Inc. PUC LBE-MBE (Micro) $400,000.00 $400,000.00 4.61% TOTAL $1,200,000.00 $1,200,000.00 13.83%
Njirich & Sons, Inc. satisfied the “Good Faith Efforts” requirement.
Njirich & Sons, Inc. utilized Approach A and exceeded the LBE subcontractor participation requirement by 35%.
CMD finds Njirich & Sons, Inc. is responsive to pre-award requirements of Chapter 14B. Once awarded, the contract will be monitored for compliance with the LBE subcontractor participation commitment, as well as other 14B requirements.
Primary CMD contact for the contract: Jovi Cuntapay-Vitin, [email protected]
CMD must be contacted immediately for:
- Subcontractor addition/substitution;
- Contract modification that cumulatively increases the original contract value by 20%; - Prompt payment issues;
- Any other issues pertaining to LBE subcontractor participation
Noncompliance may result in penalties, including monetary fines. Please communicate with CMD early.
[cco/JCV]