LAFCO adopts amended resolution to monitor San Francisco’s Community Choice Aggregation; budget figures left for further review

At a LAFCO meeting, commissioners approved an amended resolution directing the commission to monitor and advise the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) on implementation of the city’s Community Choice Aggregation program and asked staff to develop a final budget with SFPUC review.

The resolution (item 7), as amended, affirms LAFCO’s role in monitoring CCA implementation and requests that the executive officer submit an amended budget and staffing plan for review by the budget analyst and the SFPUC. Miss Miller, LAFCO’s executive officer, said the resolution reflects prior hearings and an ordinance from the Board of Supervisors asking LAFCO to assist in startup of the CCA program.

The discussion centered on whether to include specific dollar amounts in the resolution and a draft budget. Staff presented a draft first-year figure of $700,000 and a three-year cap of $2,100,000, with line items including a staff position, legal and consultant reserves, administrative overhead, website work and publication costs. Commissioners asked for more detail tying the budget to specific tasks and recommended the draft go to the budget analyst and SFPUC for review before final adoption. Miss Miller said the numbers are a starting point that will be revised after consultation.

Barbara Hale, assistant general manager for power at the SFPUC, briefed the commission on the procurement and staffing timeline. The PUC issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Sept. 13 and "We will be receiving responses on November 13," she said, adding the PUC plans to publish uniform answers to submitted questions on Oct. 2. Hale said the PUC’s budget includes four positions for CCA implementation—a director, two analysts and a secretary—and that the department is accepting letters of interest for the director position at the PUC offices (1155 Market Street, attention Lorna Navarro) until the formal requisition is posted.

On the total funding question, commissioners sought confirmation that SFPUC had agreed to a $2.1 million total. Hale stated, "I can't I can't agree to that," but said the PUC is "ready to work on a budget and provide funding." LAFCO members therefore amended the draft to include a rollover provision for unspent funds during the project period and a "not to exceed $2,100,000" benchmark while directing staff to return with a final amended budget after review by the budget analyst and SFPUC.

Motion and procedural outcome: Supervisor Dilley moved the amendments and the chair noted the amendments were made; Commissioner Schmelzer seconded the motion. The record shows item 7 (the monitoring/advisory resolution), as amended, passed. Items 8 and 9 (the draft CCA monitoring project budget and related RFP direction) were continued for further work with the budget analyst and SFPUC and will return to LAFCO at a later meeting for final adoption.

Votes at a glance: - Approval of minutes for 06/22/2007: approved (no public comment recorded). - Item 7 (amended resolution to monitor/advise on CCA implementation): approved (amended language; items 8 and 9 to be refined). - Items 8 and 9 (draft budget and RFP direction): continued for further review by the budget analyst and SFPUC.

Why it matters: LAFCO’s formal monitoring role creates a local oversight mechanism in San Francisco’s CCA rollout and reserves funding and staff capacity to review contracts, hiring and implementation steps. Commissioners emphasized fiscal controls and asked that any unspent funds remain targeted to the CCA project.

What’s next: SFPUC will compile and summarize RFI responses after Nov. 13 and report back; LAFCO staff will work with the budget analyst and SFPUC to present a final amended budget and any RFP materials at the next meeting.