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6.3.B. - Page 2 <br />Penalties and Interest accounts, and seek Council approval in appropriating the funds <br />from the accounts each fiscal year. <br />The City collects approximately a combined $120,000 per fiscal year from both <br />accounts. In fiscal year 2015-16, the City collected $72,094 in the Water Fund Penalties <br />and Interest account, and $59,410 in the Sewer Fund Penalties and Interest account. <br />Staff propose using these funds to provide qualified residents with a credit on their utility <br />bill for water and/or sewer charges. The expected credit is $20 per bill and the available <br />funds will cover assistance for about a thousand customers. <br />Participants in the Utility Bill Assistance Program will be required to apply each year and <br />provide proof of income prior to receiving a utility bill credit. The program will initially be <br />available to those residents whose gross income does not exceed the San Mateo <br />County Department of Housing's Extremely Low Income category; this limit ensures that <br />the funds are maximized to assist the greatest number of people who would benefit <br />most from the program. However, if funding levels or other circumstances change <br />adjustments to the program may be needed to continue providing the benefit to those <br />with the most need. <br />With Council's fund appropriation approval, staff will begin offering the program to <br />customers in January 2017. <br />ALTERNATIVES <br />City Council may reject the proposal or direct staff to find alternate funding sources for <br />the program. However, the Water Fund and Sewer Fund Penalties and Interest <br />accounts is the most fitting account from the City's existing funding sources and is <br />immediately available to finance this program. <br />FISCAL IMPACT <br />Each fiscal year, the amount collected in the Water Fund and Sewer Fund Penalties <br />and Interest accounts would be appropriated for the Utility Bill Assistance Program. <br />ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW <br />This activity is not a project under CEQA as defined in CEQA Guidelines, section <br />15378, because it has no potential for resulting in either a direct or foreseeable physical <br />change in the environment. <br />ROBIN KIM <br />MANAGEMENT ANALYST <br />