BOSCA presents CIP-comparison study and urges SFPUC to publish a standalone CIP

Nicole Sankula Bauska, CEO of the Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency, presented a CIP comparison report she said surveys nine West Coast water agencies. BOSCA's review recommended several changes intended to improve transparency and interagency coordination: produce a standalone CIP document for public and partner review rather than embedding CIP elements across budget materials; include narrative project data sheets that describe current status and prioritization rationale; and reflect lessons learned from recent procurement and cost trends in project projections.

Bauska noted that BOSCA agencies rely heavily on SFPUC physical infrastructure (roughly two-thirds of their purchased water) and said clearer documentation would support both operational planning and ratepayer information. She and her staff said they had shared the study with SFPUC staff and recommended incremental changes to project data presentation, prioritization and project-cost assumptions.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about consistency with city-wide CIP formats and how the SFPUC's ten-year capital plan and enterprise budgets interface with a standalone document. BOSCA representatives emphasized that the recommendation is intended to help ratepayer understanding and interagency collaboration, not to undermine existing city coordination.

Ending: The commission acknowledged receipt of the study and encouraged staff to consider BOSCA's recommendations when preparing future capital and budget materials.