Citizens’ Advisory Committee
Water Subcommittee

MINUTES

January 23, 2008

1155 Market Street, San Francisco, California

4th Floor Conference Room
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Members

Jennifer Clary – Chair	Richard Hansen
Tim Colen	Lurilla Harris
David Dawdy	Robert Varni
Art Jensen

Staff: Diane Parker, David Behar

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Roll Call
Present: Clary, Jensen, Harris, Dawdy, Varni (5:26), Hansen (5:30), Colen (5:58)
Absent: None

1. Call to order
Chair Clary called the meeting to order at 5:17 p.m.

2. Approval of minutes
   Member Jensen moved to accept minutes from November 28, 2007 and member Harris second. Minutes were approved unanimously.

3. Announcements by members and reports on other meetings
Member Harris expressed a need to receive all communications from the Subcommittee via US Mail

4. Public comment-matters within Subcommittee’s scope, not on today’s agenda
   No members of the public were present.

5. Staff Presentation
    a. SFPUC’s Climate Change Modeling by staff member David Behar

Member Jensen said it was important to note that annual precipitation would probably not change. He confirmed that Mr. Behar’s research is based on state-of-the-art predictive tools.

After Mr. Behar explained the model, Water Subcommittee members asked in-depth questions of Mr. Behar regarding the climate change modeling, including whether or not rising temperatures might lead to increased releases to maintain river temperature, whether more dams will be needed to accommodate increased run-off due to melting snow-pack, how having more rain and less snow might affect the water supply, and how a three-degree change in temperature might affect the design drought in the model, and how this might affect the SFPUC’s water rights.

Member Jensen said that draught modeling is of great significance to the Committee and expressed a strong desire for more information on the subject.

Mr. Behar agreed that more information is needed on the entire subject. He said he liked the in-depth questioning and plans to discuss all this with his group and make a future presentation containing more information.

Member Harris left the meeting at 6:02 p.m.

Member Hansen asked if building more dams would be beneficial.

Member Jensen expressed eagerness to have Mr. Behar report on the SFPUC’s joint efforts on climate change with the Turlock Water District.

Public Comment:
 Joan Girardot asked how the SFPUC is plugging in the forecast models to make sure the SFPUC is satisfying state requirements for water utilities to prove that there will be enough water to supply new growth.

   b. The Water Enterprise Business Plan

Mr. Behar acknowledged that while progress has been made on the plan, there is still substantial work to be done.

Chair Clary expressed disappointment that the plan was not ready and asked what resources were being put into developing the plan.

Mr. Behar talked about what kind of information can be expected from a business plan and outlined his plan to proceed.

Member Jensen advised that the financial plan drives the business plan.

Chair Clary said that the budget will be on next month’s agenda and she reminded Mr. Behar that the Committee was foremost interested in the substance of the plan.

There was no public comment.

6. Follow up to November resolution on Capital reserve fund.

Chair Clary asked Member Varni to make the presentation before the full Committee on January 29, 2008 and he agreed. She then opened up discussion as to the best way to follow through after the presentation.

Member Varni agreed to prepare a draft letter to accompany the resolution to the PUC and, if feasible, he would address the Commission budget meeting.

During public comment, Joan Girardot asked Member Varni to explain how the committee arrived at the term “reserve fund for capital assets? She felt that name watered down the fact that the charter mandates a “reconstruction and replacement fund”. Chair Clary asked that, in the interest of time, any name change be decided offline and reported at the next CAC meeting.

Member Varni showed a four-month accumulation of Chloramine from his home pipes and a debate of the merits of Chloramine followed.

7.  CAC Water Subcommittee Annual Report

    Chair Clary called for comments before she submits the report to the full CAC.

Member Dawdy asked that a report on sustained yield be added and Member Hansen said he’d look it up at the SFPUC library. Member Jensen advised minor language changes which Chair Clary said she’d do.

8.  Future agenda items

Chair Clary listed the Chloramine presentation given to the Commission, the standing item on the business plan, a new presentation on the Recycled Water Master Plan for February, a report on PUC property management within city limits, and a presentation from Finance on some of the issues that were identified in the Harvey Rose audit.

Discussion ensued on a possible presentation on providing the City with potable water after a catastrophic event.

The committee agreed to review a paper by Member Jensen on how the committee can add to its value.

Chair Clary listed items added today to the list for future agendas as answers to questions about modeling the design drought, a report on the outcome of the physical modeling, whenever that’s done, and more information on Show Me the Water after the final EIR comes out.

During public comment Joan Girardot offered to provide an update on efforts to get the legislature of create an independent office of rate payers.

9.  Chair Clary asked for a motion to adjourn. Member Dawdy so moved and the meeting was adjourned at 6:55 p.m.