San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Citizens’ Advisory Committee

Minutes

April 21, 2008

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
1155 Market Street
4th Floor Conference Room

Members

Alex Lantsberg– Chair	Lurilla Harris	Laurie Schoeman
Nick Carlin	Winchell Hayward	Robert Varni
Jennifer Clary	Art Jensen	Judy West
David Dawdy	Steve Lawrence
Richard T. Hansen	Kimia Mizany

Staff: Maureen Barry

ORDER OF BUSINESS 
 
1. Call to order
Chair Lantsberg called the meeting to order at 5:41 p.m.
 
2. Roll Call
Members Present: Lantsberg, Carlin, Dawdy (arrived at 5:43 p.m.), Clary, Hansen, Harris, Hayward, Lawrence, Mizany, Schoeman, Varni, West
John Roddy, Counsel.   
Members Absent: Jensen

3. Approval of the minutes of the February 2008 Meeting (attached).
Moved by J. Clary, seconded by L. Schoeman, approved unanimously.
 
4. Public Comment – members of the public may address the Committee on matters that
are not on agenda.

David Hudak, a citizen living near Lake Merced and the Gun Club commented about the disturbance the gun club members caused.  “Difficult to read a book in my home on Saturdays and or Sundays.” He has complained about the decibel levels before to police. They informed him that SFPUC has jurisdiction. He is asking for SFPUC to monitor noise at the club.

J Clary noted that this item would be on the CAC Water Subcommittee and that he should attend on Wed, April 23.   Staff also provided email, mbarry@sfwater.org if he had other comments he would like to share with other SFPUC staff.

5. Report of Chair

Chair Lantsberg reported that David Pascal has resigned after taking an environmental job with the City.  He has encouraged Supervisor Chu and the Mayor’s office to make appointments to the CAC, he also encouraged other members to call. He noted that Sup. Alioto-Pier and Large Water User (Mayoral appt) are two other openings. J West asked about Assemblywoman’s Ma’s brother who was interested. He has been suggested as a replacement for Ken Cleaveland. Others suggested the CAC recruit someone from the construction industry, apartment owner and the like. L Harris said she would also call Supervisors Chu and Alioto-Pier.

10. At the request of Espanola Jackson, a member of the public, this agenda item was moved up:  Discussion & possible action on proposed resolution from CAC Wastewater Subcommittee:  Develop TF to focus on location and design of SFPUC’s SE Wastewater Treatment Plant Digesters (J Clary).

J Clary noted that the two-year process studying and developing a MasterPlan for the Wastewater System has been good.  She suggested it is now time to ask the neighbors to focus on the siting of the digesters.  

Moved by J Clary, seconded by R Hansen. 

Chair requested comments around members. L Schoeman approved of the resolution.  S Lawrence was reluctant to start another process given the extensive work on the Master Plan.   Clary noted that the plan did not specifically address location of digesters.

R Varni wanted to know if the concern was the smell and doing something about the digesters now.   E Jackson emphatically said no.  L Harris noted that the Bayview is however overloaded with many things.  E Jackson said the sewage plant is there and after much discussion many in the community believe the digesters should remain there.  Ms. Jackson said it has been shown that there is much that can be done to improve upon them and to make the plant/digesters aesthetically appealing with brick facades and other improvements.

W Hayward noted that he was pleased to hear Ms. Jackson’s views that “it was too expensive” to move the digesters.  J West commented that she was concerned about an element of the resolution—were we taking a vote on a) existing location of digesters, b) CA Trans site near I 280 or c) port land.

N Carlin commented that there seemed to be a lot of discussion and meetings.  Why this additional process?  E Jackson posed the question:  Why would you move them when whatever site chosen is still in the Bayview?  Why pay more to move to another Bayview site?

There were several revisions to the language of the proposed resolution as the discussion ensued (noted on the attached resolution).  R Varni insisted we should tell the powers that be:  Get it done and get it done now.  
The resolution carried 10-2 with L Harris and R Varni dissenting.

J West agreed to accept the Secretary position and was approved by acclamation.
N Carlin was swiftly approved by acclamation as Vice Chair and continued to oversee the discussion of nominations to the Chair:   A Lantsberg and S Lawrence.

J Clary asked Mr. Lawrence why he considered himself the best candidate for Chair.
S Lawrence noted that he wanted a more open agenda—cited experience with having his agenda items blocked as Chair of the CAC Water Subcommittee and not supported by the then-Chair.    Lawrence said the group has not accomplished enough, it’s too centralized and that it’s time for a change.    He would demand that members get materials beforehand and make better use of the Secretary – correspondence and minutes.  He would also empower members to meet with SFPUC staff and create a standardized form for doing business.

Current Chair Lantsberg said he would like to respond to the same question.  He said that the agenda process is very open—he accepts whatever is brought to the CAC from the subcommittee chairs.  He was not sure what “too centralized” meant in that he feels the CAC is open to all matters.    He also discounted a claim that people leading the CAC were office mates.  He suggested they were fellow travelers in the environmental community.  He was most proud of his efforts to help SFPUC support the urban life support system; maximize public participation in power initiatives and put forward a progressive agenda.  Lantsberg concluded by saying:  Have we accomplished everything—of course not,  but he is particularly proud of the CAC’s stewardship of the wasterwater master plan.

Fellow CAC members noted that the Chair had a lot personal experience and had been supportive to their issues.  D Dawdy noted that current Chair was an improvement over the previous one.  He requested that the Chair refrain from “dog and pony shows”.   R Varni took objection with the assessment of the Chair that we are working from the bottom up and thought the CAC should be working from the top down telling the SFPUC leadership what the citizens expected of them.   Question was called.

Members voting in favor of A. Lantsberg:
  Clary, Mizany, West, Schoeman, Lantsberg, Hansen, Dawdy

Members voting for S. Lawrence:
  Hayward, Varni, Carlin, Lawrence, Harris

Motion fails.
S Lawrence said he would withdraw to resolve the impasse.
R. Hansen moved that A Lantsberg be approved by acclamation. J. Clary seconded. 
Motion approved. 

L Schoeman left at 7:11 pm

7.  Presentations:

A. Water for All Campaign – Adam Scow

Adam Scow explained that numerous programs have trust funds to help rebuild infrastructure but that nothing like this exists for water and wastewater.  Water for All is attempting to model a federal trust for clean and safe water similar to the Federal Highway Trust. 

Members complained that the website they referenced was not very good and they didn’t get a clear picture of what the group was trying to accomplish.  Scow noted that Food and Water Watch was a better website.  Counsel Roddy noted that the Wastewater Enterprise was supporting this effort.  R Varni also thought it was a good concept.

W Hayward moved to approve by acclamation, R Hansen seconded and the motion carried unanimously.

8. Discussion & Possible action to approve Resolution urging SFPUC to adopt 10-year Capital Plan in compliance with Prop E.

Motioned by J Clary, seconded by R Hansen. Motion carried unanimously

9. Discussion and possible action on proposed protocol for the language of agenda items to enhance CAC’s effectiveness.

J Clary explained that A Jensen proposed this for the CAC Water Subcommittee and it was brought forward from there.  The proposal requires that all agenda items include the following:
Issue:  (place each topic in the form of question)
Results to be Produced:   (note desired result of action)
Recommended Action:  (explain result proposed action will achieve)

W Hayward moved, J Clary seconded.

There was some question of how this would be implemented.  J Clary noted she formatted the upcoming agenda for the CAC Water Subcommittee using this mode.   Counsel Roddy noted that there is not an action for every item.  Members agreed to format the next agenda in this fashion and then decide whether to go forward with it permanently.

No other items were considered at this meeting.  Counsel Roddy asked that the members review the Sunshine Ordinance handout and that he would discuss briefly and take questions at next month’s meeting.   Chair also noted that meeting will extend to 7:30 pm on a regular basis.

10. Adjournment at 7:28 p.m.
 
Additional materials not listed as explanatory documents on this agenda, if any, that are distributed to the SFPUC Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) prior to or during the meeting in connection with any agenda item will be available to the public for inspection and copying in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.1 and Sunshine Ordinance §§ 67.9, 67.28 (b) & 67.28 (d).