July 18, 2005

MINUTES
of the
UTILITY UNDERGROUNDING TASK FORCE
MEETING

Monday, July 18, at 4:00 p.m.
City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton Goodlett Place, Rm. 421

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chair Chris Coghlan called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m. 

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The minutes of the meetings of April 5, 2005, May 16, 2005 and June 20, 2005 were approved as written.

Utility Undergrounding Task Force
Minutes
July 18, 2005
Page 2

3. DEPARTMENT REPORT:  RON VINSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR/ADMINISTRATOR, DTIS

Core business of DTIS is telecommunications; handle telephone billing system and all IT services as well.

Handle different functions for the 63 City departments, including old circuitry for old police call boxes.  DTIS serves recreation centers, libraries but not schools.  Focus has been City buildings.  Manage the City station, SFTV.

New fiber to be undergrounded will replace the T-1 lines that the telephone company has used.  Ms. Martin asked for information describing what is going underground and what projects will be coming up.  Discussed Comcast’s relationship with the City.  Current franchise ends through December, 2005.  DTIS is proposing to extend it another four years.  Mr. Vinson stated that DTIS believes that undergrounding can be negotiated better in the future.  He believes that the City’s plan to put DTIS, DPW and Administrative Services under a General Services Administration is in the works and will probably create more efficiency.

4. TASK FORCE COMMITTEE REPORTS AND FORMATION OF NEW COMMITTEES

Chair Coghlan suggested that the Task Force establish a Membership Committee.  Mr. Currier moved that it be established.  Seconded by Ms. Martin, the motion passed.  Mr. Coghlan, Mr. Currier and Ms. Martin will sit on the committee.

5. COMMITTEE REPORTS

a.  Communication & Outreach:  Mr. Coghlan discussed using the website to collect comments and suggestions from the public.  Ms. Lerner explained that presently her name, address, phone number, fax number and email address are listed on the Task Force website as a contact.  Dan McKenna, DPW stated that the DPW-Utility Undergrounding site on the City’s website would include a link to this Task Force’s website.

Utility Undergrounding Task Force
Minutes
July 18, 2005
Page 3

b.  Resources:  Chair John Brooke reporting; framed the issues and costs based on the 42-mile plan.  Committee trying to understand costs with 45-50 more
miles to underground. Committee discussed increasing 20A allocations.  Discussed how to research different opportunities for raising resources.  Broke it down into existing structures for raising funds; looked at real estate transfer tax, existing utility taxes.  Sending off questions to Jimi Harris, PG&E representative to Task Force.

c. Site Selection: Chair Dan Weaver reporting.  Committee discussed what areas will be undergrounded.  The 42-mile figure does not involve rear yard feeds.  Suggested a priority system for undergrounding by looking at roadways, sidewalks, wires hanging down from poles; suggested also looking at City-wide undergrounding, as well as having utilities do joint projects to save money.  Mr. McKenna offered that restrictions on the funding source determine where undergrounding can occur; that there is a prohibition against using water and sewer trenches for utility lines.

d. Undergrounding Operations: Chair John Bitterman reporting.  Dan McKenna will present info at next committee meeting on the implementation process in detail; will also be reviewing the Rule 20 Ledger, looking at cost differences in various undergrounding projects; will look at the punch lists;  Mr. McKenna will provide cost figures per trench foot, looking at different utilities.

6. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting ended with loss of a quorum at 5:30 p.m.