Residents urge no peaker plant in Bayview Hunters Point; landlord calls water-rate tiers unfair

At the start of the meeting, three members of the public spoke during the public-comment period about separate issues: a proposed combustion-turbine 'peaker' plant and recent water-rate increases.

Miss Espinola Jackson told the commission staff would present an informational item about a San Francisco Public Utilities Commission proposal to construct a 150 MW combustion-turbine peaker plant on four acres of Western Pacific property. She said she and the community oppose siting peakers in Bayview Hunters Point and asked for more hearings and an environmental review. "We have said we do not want those conversion turbines in Bayview Hunters Point," she said, and asked staff and the general manager to follow up with the community on the project's history.

Francisco DeCosta introduced himself and urged the commission to honor public-trust principles and the Burton Act when deciding port-land uses, saying Port property should host recreational and public-benefit operations and repeating community opposition to peakers in Bayview Hunters Point.

Phyllis Shroffsdorf, who identified herself as a landlady, described a recent jump in her water bill (cited previous amounts and a current bill figure) and criticized the tiered rate structure as unfair to multi-occupant rental units. She said landlords with multiple tenants bear the penalty tiers and urged a per-person billing approach or other remedies to avoid pushing small landlords out of business.

The commission closed public comment, and the chair asked staff to follow up on the peaker-plant concerns and provide history to speakers who requested it.