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Committee accepts BLA reduction and forwards $4.25M emergency repair for PUC watershed fences
Summary
The committee accepted the Budget Analyst Office’s recommendation to reduce the SFPUC emergency fence‑repair estimate and forwarded the item to the Board with a positive recommendation; SFPUC said about 50 miles of fence require repair after the SCU Lightning Complex fire.
The Budget and Finance Committee voted Jan. 27 to forward a resolution authorizing the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission general manager to declare an emergency and award contracts to replace and repair damaged fences on watershed lands burned in the 2020 SCU Lightning Complex fire.
Tim Ramirez, Division Manager for Natural Resources and Lands Management at SFPUC, said fence damage occurred across SFPUC watershed lands in Alameda and Santa Clara counties and that roughly 50 miles of fence work is prioritized for repair. He showed post‑fire photos and maps and said crews must work in rugged, hard‑to‑access terrain near the Calaveras and San Antonio reservoirs.
The Budget Analyst Office reviewed the scope and estimated the absolute cost at about $3.8 million but recommended reducing the emergency authorization in the proposed resolution from $4.5 million to $4.25 million to allow a 12% contingency. Chair Haney moved to amend the resolution to accept the BLA recommendation; the committee approved the amendment and then voted to forward the item to the full Board with a positive recommendation (three ayes).
The SFPUC said it hopes to begin fence repairs as soon as feasible and that emergency authority will allow quicker contracting in difficult terrain.
