brooks? >> you would concede there is a need in the central valley for more water, correct? it does not fit the model you were referencing earlier. where is permeable pavement used today? >> it is a fairly new process. if you have been walking down the sidewalk, where we have trees in our sidewalk, and see those little square bricks that have replaced the cement, that is an example of permeable pavement. >> my dog loves that. >> right. it is an example of another environmental benefit of permeable pavement. it allows water to soak into the water table instead of running down into the ocean. as to the central valley, if they have issues, especially because agriculture is taking city drinking water in another direction, i think we all know agriculture still is not doing what it needs to do to conserve

water. problems like that need to be handled in the regions where the problems are created. in agricultural areas, sometimes there is brackish water, we'll brackish water in a water table -- real brackish water in the water table, which could be used for water supply. that is not where san francisco is at. i do not understand why we would spend $200,000 on this one we could install permeable pavement with a handful of workers and give them some payment right now. vice president moran: next speaker. >> good afternoon, commissioners. my name is rick wong. i am from the santa clara valley water district, the

project manager, representing the district on this project. i would like to give you a brief explanation why we have tried to pursue this project for ourselves. santa clara valley water district serves 1.8 million people in the county, and it relies on state water projects, and also had ceci water from your agency. -- hetch hetchy water from your agency. half of our water supply is coming from groundwater. while we are investing heavily in conservation and recycled water, and still project a water short file in 2013 -- shortfall in 2013. -- 2030. we think the salinization could

be part of future water needs. we want to work with the other agencies. as they mentioned, we started since 2003. the district has committed resources along with four other agencies who are presenting their views in front of you. we ask you to continue to support this project, and to approve the funding necessary for yourself on this project. thank you very much. >> thank you. next speaker. >> good afternoon. my name is amara florence -- florez. i am the project manager for the

bay area regional desalinization project, one of the partners. we support the regional approach to solving collective water management challenges. desalinization is an alternative worth fall consideration as a means to diversify our supplies to our customers in cities like more and dublin -- moore and dublin. we are committed to exploring the use of recycled water in our area. given our role as water research management -- resource management, we must evaluate all feasible possibilities to make well informed decisions for meeting the future needs of our community. we hope you continue to support this project. thank you. >> good afternoon, commissioners.

i am with bright line, and i want to join in asking that we do not fund the study. a lot of things have been said. i will add there is a good sense the plant will never get built. there is a reason they are not being built. commissioner torres talked about the need to address the underlying reasons why this is being studied. when you look at the studies from other counties like santa cruz, there are recent examples of jurisdictions that have studied these options for addressing the need for water desalinization and ruled it out. there are so many more ways to improve efficiency to accomplish what wants to be accomplished -- permeable sidewalk, as mr. brooks mentioned, and many other ways to improve the water we do have. i just want to say that if we

spend this money we are going to end up with something i think we are never going to build. i think we will find the alternatives create more jobs, more careers, rather than a short-term build a plant and walk from it. i would like to say we are not going to build thiso the extente resources and put them toward something we are going to do in terms of water efficiency, and realize these additional benefits -- that is what i would be in favor of instead of the study. >> additional public comment? >> good afternoon, commissioners. thanks for the opportunity to address you. i work for s.p.u.r. as sustainable project director. our advisory board had a

discussion of desalinization and the bay area. we invited the puc, pacific institute, and others to talk to us and help us think about what we should do, putting it desalinization in proper context. first, i am not here to support desalinization or building any specific facility. it would be too preliminary to adjudicate that, and it is not the question at hand. we are talking about a feasibility study that can answer the remaining questions about the impact and opportunities of this water treatment. we think it is a responsible thing to do. not just that. it is good planning. we support the continued study of feasibility for desalinization at the east contra costa site. this seems like it has been a bargain, with the grant funding as well as a great deal of regional cooperation and funding

put together for this project, which in and of itself is a worthy pursuit, as other countries have mentioned. with 2 million more people moving to the area by 2040, we are going to need more water supply in the future. where are we going to get them? we need to know the alternatives in order to have that discussion. even in the retail area, it is true demand in california is going down, as it is here. we have a significant projected shortfall when we expect more people to be living in the bay area, competing for the same supply. we need to consider the options on the table for how to source of water, especially given the uncertain trajectory of climate change on water supply. this kind of evaluation was recommended in our recent study on planning for climate change adaptation. we actually recommended in the report that bay area water

suppliers a value with alternative options and the band management strategies, including conservation, recycled water, and others, in order to prioritize cost, reliability, and environmental for actors. we specifically included desalinization because of its invulnerability to drought, but we need to know the potential cost and benefit. there will be trade-offs on environmental benefits and revenues. that is true for desalinization, delta water, or diverting a river. we need to know what we are dealing with to make informed choices. continuing and completing the study is not picking a winner right now. we urge you to look at all possible water supplies as part of good planning. that is what we are here to support. thank you. vice president moran: thank you.

is there any additional public comment? >> commissioners, what is your pleasure? commissioner courtney: not only did i find it compelling, but i appreciated everybody who showed up. the conversation enlightened me on a few different issues. i am hoping we can send a strong signal. while i take mr. brooks's comments to heart, i want to apply that kind of evaluation a little bit differently. rather than balancing the value of applying to hundreds thousand dollars to a continuation --

$200,000 to a continuation of a study about which our partners are enthusiastic, balancing that with doing other things which would employ workers, which i made no secret that i represent workers -- i hope we would continue in the direction of studying the merits of the salinization, creating opportunities for the public, the stakeholders, staff, and everybody else to give us an exhaustive report. frankly, i do not disagree with mr. brooks. once we have that data available to us, that report, those recommendations, and everybody's collaborative efforts, that will give us an opportunity -- certainly me, because i represent workers -- to evaluate whether it is beneficial to us

to go ahead and build. we do like to build things, right? to go ahead and build it or find another way to engage in the conservation we know is necessary while we employ workers. it is all about jobs. i definitely wanted to thank you, mr. brooks, for talking about workers and jobs. i think we just have a slight disagreement about when we balance those interests. i am prepared, as we sit here now, to move forward with the staff recommendation. vice president moran: is that a motion? commissioner courtney: so moved. commissioner caen: i will second. commissioner torres: i have a suggested wording change, if the commissioner would entertain that. in the fourth whereas, it talks

about the puc interest in exporting gallons per day, it's a truck after the word needs, i would recommend putting in the phrase -- of its retail and wholesale customers. this is not just for the city itself. to get that on the record i think is a good idea. vice president moran: that is an amendment. do i have a motion for the amendment? and a second? discussion on the amendment? on the amendment, all those in favor? opposed? thank you. on the motion as amended? all those in favor? ok. call the roll. vice president moran: aye. commissioner caen: aye.

commissioner torres: no. commissioner courtney: aye. >> the motion passes 3-1. vice president moran: next item, please. >> the next item will be hour closed session. i will invite any public comment on closed session items, if there is any. vice president moran: do we have public comment on closed session items? there are none. >> could you entertain a motion to deal with the items listed below? threat to public services or facilities, consultation with agency chief of security, and conference with legal counsel about property settlements in a san francisco superior court case, 436930, filed january 31,

2005. is there such a motion? vice president moran: moved and seconded. the motion carries. >> we will now go into a closed session. ♪

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>> ♪ o! say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there o! say does that star-spangled

banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ♪

>> please be seated. no sleep president of the san francisco police officers association, and we thank you all, police services, firefighters, dignitaries, elected officials, for joining us today on this solemn occasion in this very solemn weekend of remembrance of one of the worst and tragic events in the history of our country. so we wanted to make this quick. we wanted to make it respectful,

and we wanted to make it a very solemn occasion, which i think is the way it should be treated. the first thing that we're going to do here today, i know i asked everybody to sit down, but i will ask you to stand up again to observe a moment of silence for all of those that lost their lives on 9/11. >> thank you. years ago, in the san francisco fire department, when a firefighter was killed in the line of duty, bells are rung nine times at each fire house throughout the city. this was known as the chaplains call. in honor of this tradition, firefighter gregory ginatti will

now ring the bell nine times for the firefighters and police officers who gave their lives on 9/11. [bell rings nine times] >> thank you, greg. now for the invocation. i would like to introduce father john green, chaplain of the san francisco firefighters, and the chaplain for the san francisco police department for the invocation. >> we live among heroes, the

heroes of the past, those firefighters, police officers, and paramedics, and civilians who gave their lives on 9/11. we live among heroes today as we remember tony and vinnie, firefighters who gave their lives for our city this past june. we remember all of us who have served the city daily, giving our lives in service to our fellow citizens and giving of ourselves in many different ways. we live among heroes. today, we do not assemble so much with a sense of grief for those who have given their lives as much as with a sense of pride that they did their jobs well and they gave their all.

as we gather together in this city, we ask almighty god to remember us and bless those who have been heroic in the past, those who are heroic today, and in a real sense, to give us the strength, the honor, the dignity, the pride, and the courage of the san francisco police officers and firefighters. it is a great pleasure now for me to introduce my friend and fellow priest, father michael healy, who will lead you in prayer. >> i would like to share with you this morning the beautiful prayer that was composed for the holy father the pope benedict

when he visited the site in new york on 9/11. and so in this prayer, we are asked also to look at ourselves and the way in which we treat this tragic situation. i was very much impressed by one of the firefighters who said about her colleagues that she had a hole in her heart, but that it was important for her to fill that with all of the great memories of the wonderful people who served with her and also the sacrifice that they made. the holy father in going to 9/11 came with this prayer. we can all join in it.

we have to use our imagination a little bit because i am going to mention places where the tragedy took place. god of peace, bring your peace to the vile world, the hearts of men and women, and to all nations. god of love, compassion, and healing, look upon us who gather here today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. we ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who have died, the first responders, the firefighters, the police officers, emergency service workers, and port authority personnel. along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because

their work of service brought them here on september 11. we ask you in your compassion to bring healing to those who because of their presence here today suffere from injuries and illness. heal the pain of those still grieving families and all of those who lost loved ones in this tragedy. give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope. we're mindful of those who suffered death, injury, and loss. on the same day in the pentagon and in shanksville, pennsylvania. our hearts are one with theirs. bring your peace to our by low world, to the hearts of all men and women, and among the nations and women, and among the nations of this earth.