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6.A. - Page 2 of 27 On February 11, 2008, the City Council adopted Resolution 14840 providing a timing schedule for reminder notices to be mailed to delinquent utility customers and required termination of accounts (water service shut off) that remain delinquent for 47 calendar days after issuance of the utility bills. Senate Bill 998 (SB 998) for the Discontinuation of Residential Water Service was signed into law on September 28, 2018. SB 998 establishes additional rules and procedures to follow before residential water service can be disconnected and is intended to minimize the number of Californians who have their water service interrupted due to improper notice and insufficient time to make payments. Among the requirements the City would have to comply with under SB 998 are: • Adopt written discontinuation policies that are available in multiple languages (Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Tagalog) and are made available on the City's website. • Refrain from discontinuing residential water service due to non-payment until the payments are delinquent for at least 60 days, and provide information about appeals, extensions and alternative payment options. • Provide a copy of the discontinuation policy to the customer no less than 7 business days before water service is shut off. • Avoid discontinuing residential water service if all of the following conditions exist: o A primary care provider certifies the discontinuation of water service will pose a serious or potentially fatal threat to a resident. o The customer demonstrates an inability to pay based on receipt of certain public assistance or a declaration that the household is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. o The customer is willing to enter into an alternative payment plan arrangement. • Limit reconnection fees for low-income customers whose household income is less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level to no more than $50 during regular business hours, and $150 after business hours and waive interest charges on delinquent bills once every 12 months. • Attempt to provide at least 10 days' notice to renters or multi -family residents that their service may be discontinued due to non-payment by their landlords, and that the residents have the right to become customers of the City without paying the past -due amounts owed by the landlord. • Annually post the number of times the City has discontinued service for non-payment on the City's website. The City must comply with the requirements set forth in SB 998 by February 1, 2020. ANALYSIS Overview of Current Policy and Procedure Key aspects of the City's current policy are as follows: • Customers have 30 days to pay their bills without any penalties (Net 30). • Any customer who is unable to pay their bill by the due date may request an alternative payment plan arrangement with Revenue Services staff by phone or at the counter. • Water and Sewer Rate Assistance Program (WSRAP) is offered to qualifying utility customers. Eligibility is based on household income and qualifying applicants receive a credit of up to $80 on their utility bill. Customers must apply annually to receive the credit, which is applied to each bill Page 2 of 7 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 11