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PUC seeks contract increase for $4.3B water program; supervisors ask for clearer oversight and more frequent reporting
Summary
The San Francisco PUC told the committee it needs an increase to a consultant contract to deliver a $4.3 billion Water System Improvement Program; the budget analyst urged biannual expenditure reporting and the committee continued the item for one week to allow staff to provide additional detail.
Harlan Kelly, Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, told supervisors that the PUC's Water System Improvement Program had grown as the agency refined scope, added environmental and seismic risk work, and increased preconstruction planning and third‑party reviews. As a result, the PUC is asking to amend contract authority for program and project services to complete a five‑year implementation schedule.
Kelly said Parsons (the program consultant) has performed above average work but that additional services were needed for program controls, constructability reviews and environmental compliance. He presented a timeline of program work, said the PUC had committed most of the original contract and now forecasts additional service needs over the remaining 2½ years.
The Budget Analyst recommended that the committee require biannual reports showing obligations and expenditures against plan and that the PUC explain why some services were not performed in‑house. Supervisors questioned the timing of hiring and the number of existing vacancies in engineering and other roles; PUC staff said many vacancies are for senior or specialized hires and they planned to fill specific positions as project phases require.
Given the remaining questions, the committee continued the item one week and asked the PUC to return with a clearer spending forecast, staffing plan and a commitment to regular status reports to the committee.
