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PUC, workforce office and community groups map local-hire and community benefits plan
Summary
SFPUC staff and the city—s workforce director outlined a PUC-wide RFQ-driven effort to design community benefits and local-hire policies; consultants expected mid-February and stakeholders pushed for paths for disadvantaged workers and certification of training.
Commissioners heard an update on Jan. 26 on the PUC—s community benefits and workforce development work, an item commissioners asked staff to return with in January.
Harlan Kelly, assistant general manager, said the PUC issued an RFQ on Jan. 6 seeking two micro-LBEs to draft a commission-wide community benefits policy; five timely proposals were received and staff anticipates a mid‑February selection.
Rhonda Simmons, director of workforce development for the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, described the citywide workforce strategic plan and how it will connect to the PUC—s program design. She said the plan originally identified sectors such as construction, health care, hospitality, retail, biotech, transportation and information technology; since that initial work, the city has added green‑collar jobs (energy efficiency, solar installation, weatherization) and will pursue a labor-market study and a coordinated local‑hire approach.
Simmons told the commission that the city is prioritizing reengagement of disconnected youth and underserved populations and plans to align PUC contracting and purchasing power with workforce strategies. She emphasized parallel tracks: short-term community engagement and local-hire pilots while consultants develop a durable agency-wide framework.
Public commentators from Southeast Jobs Coalition, local worker-training programs and community groups voiced strong support for local-hire commitments and urged explicit pathways for people with barriers to employment (ex-offenders, those without GEDs) and certification for training program graduates.
Commissioners asked for sequencing details, how consultant work would intersect with First Source and other models, and how PUC plans to coordinate with redevelopment and other city departments; Simmons and staff said they will return with more detailed implementation steps, timelines and community outreach plans ahead of formal policy adoption.
