3.40.010 Waiver of fees for non-profit organizations.
A. The payment by a nonprofit organization of any fees required under any provision of this Code, or any code incorporated herein may be waived, if, based upon the evidence submitted, the following findings are made:
1. Said organization is a bona fide non-profit organization based on the tax status and financial report for the period of operation immediately preceding the date of request; and
2. That such organization has or will annually provide to the community a service which has at a minimum, a financial value equivalent to that of the fees sought to be waived and the organization is not otherwise compensated for such value; and
3. That the waiver of the fees is required for the provision of the service to the community; and
4. That the waiver of the fees will not have an adverse fiscal impact on the on-going operations of the city government.
B. The city manager may waive said fees up to an amount not exceeding one thousand dollars per fiscal year per organization and its subsidiaries. The waiver of any fees exceeding one thousand dollars shall be considered by the city council.
C. The fee may be waived only upon the written request of the beneficiary for such waiver.
D. No waiver of fees made hereunder shall be the basis of a simultaneous or future waiver of the same or any other fee for the same or any other organization.
(Code 1965, § 29A-1.)
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July 1, 2026
City of Banning City Council
99 E. Ramsey Street
Banning, CA 92220
RE: Request for In-Kind Services/Fee Waiver for the 2026 Stagecoach Days PRCA Rodeo and Parade
Dear Honorable Mayor and Members of the Banning City Council, On behalf of the Stagecoach Days Association, we respectfully request the City of Banning's consideration of an in-kind services/fee waiver for City departments providing support during the 2026 Stagecoach Days PRCA Rodeo and Parade, scheduled for September 11–12, 2026.
For nearly 70 years, Stagecoach Days has been one of Banning's most cherished traditions.
Since 1957, this annual celebration has honored our community's rich history while bringing together thousands of residents and visitors for a weekend of family-friendly entertainment, community pride, and economic activity that benefits local businesses.
The Stagecoach Days Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated entirely by community volunteers. There are no paid employees, only dedicated volunteers who donate thousands of hours each year to produce this event for the benefit of our community. Every dollar raised through sponsorships, ticket sales, and fundraising is reinvested directly into making Stagecoach Days a safe, successful, and memorable event.
This year, we were informed of new special event service fees for City support. Based on estimates provided, the cost for services from the Police Department, Fire Department, Street Department, Water Department, Transportation Department, and other City departments is expected to total approximately $45,000.
While we understand and appreciate the value of these essential public services, this unexpected expense is simply beyond the financial capacity of our nonprofit organization. Absorbing an additional $45,000 in costs would financially cripple the Association and could jeopardize not only the 2026 event but the future of Stagecoach Days itself.
We respectfully request that the City Council approve an in-kind waiver of fees for City services associated with the 2026 Stagecoach Days Parade and PRCA Rodeo, including support provided by:
• Banning Police Department
• Banning Fire Department
• Street Department
• Water Department
• Transportation Department
• Any other City departments necessary to safely conduct the event 999
The Stagecoach Days Association recognizes that public safety is our highest priority. We contract and pay for private security throughout the event; however, we also recognize the necessity of having Banning Police Department officers on site to assist with public safety, traffic control, and emergency response. Likewise, we appreciate the invaluable assistance provided by City staff in coordinating parade street closures, public works support, utilities, and emergency services.
Stagecoach Days is much more than a rodeo and parade—it is Banning's signature community celebration. The event showcases our City's western heritage, supports local businesses, promotes tourism, provides family-friendly entertainment, and brings thousands of visitors into our community each year. Hotels, restaurants, retail stores, gas stations, and other local businesses all benefit from the increased economic activity generated during Stagecoach Days weekend.
We recognize the fiscal responsibilities of the City of Banning and appreciate the difficult decisions involved in allocating municipal resources. However, we respectfully ask the City Council to view this request as an investment in one of Banning's longest-standing traditions rather than simply an operational expense. Stagecoach Days is not a for-profit event. It exists solely because dedicated volunteers believe in preserving our community's heritage and providing an annual celebration for residents and visitors alike. Without the City's continued partnership through these in-kind services, the event may no longer be financially sustainable.
For nearly seven decades, the City of Banning and the Stagecoach Days Association have worked together to present an event that reflects the pride, history, and spirit of our community.
We respectfully ask that this partnership continue by approving this request for an in-kind waiver of approximately $45,000 in City service fees. Your support will help ensure that this beloved tradition continues for future generations and remains a source of pride for the City of Banning.
Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your continued support of Stagecoach Days and the citizens of Banning. We look forward to continuing our partnership in making the 2026 Stagecoach Days PRCA Rodeo and Parade another successful community celebration.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Pippenger
Chair
Stagecoach Days Association
P.O. Box 604
Banning, CA 92220
[email protected]
(951) 552-6730
On behalf of the Stagecoach Days Association Board of Directors 1000
CITY OF BANNING
STAFF REPORT
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Elizabeth Gibbs, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Terry, Finance Director
MEETING DATE: July 14, 2026
SUBJECT: Update on Utility Billing Recovery Efforts
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Receive an update on the City’s utility billing recovery efforts and provide direction as needed. Staff also recommends temporarily deferring service discontinuance for customers who submitted a payment plan application that remains under review.
BACKGROUND:
On November 1, 2024, the City implemented a new utility billing system. Technical and operational issues prevented the City from generating utility bills, requiring a return to the legacy system in December 2024.
The transition resulted in an approximately six-month billing interruption. Billing resumed in April 2025, and the City added staff and accelerated billing cycles to address the backlog. During this period, customers received multiple monthly bills within a single month. By April 2026, the City had completed the billing catch-up process and returned to its regular billing schedule.
Temporary Payment Plan Policy
On January 27, 2026, the City Council adopted Resolution 2026-22, establishing a Temporary Payment Plan Policy and a grace period that was later extended through June 2026. During the grace period, the City suspended late fees, service disconnections, and credit card processing fees to allow customers additional time to reduce balances or establish payment plans.
Under the temporary policy, customers on approved six- or twelve-month payment plans may have their service discontinued if their accounts become more than 60 days delinquent.
Delinquent Accounts Following the Grace Period
Following the grace period, the City is scheduled to resume delinquency procedures in accordance with adopted policies. Accounts are considered delinquent when payment is not received within 20 days of the bill date. Service may be discontinued once an account has been delinquent for at least 60 days, provided the City mails written notice at least seven business days before discontinuance.
Payment plan requests increased significantly near the end of the grace period. Hundreds of customers visited City Hall in the days before the end of the grace period, and approximately 400 online requests were submitted on the final day. Staff worked weekends and the July 4 holiday to process payment plan requests for customer approval and to make the initial payment in accordance with the plan. As of the date this report was prepared, 1,545 customers have active payment plans and are making the agreedupon payments. 1001
Staff recommends deferring service discontinuance for customers who have submitted an application and are actively working with staff to complete their payment plans and make the required initial payment. This approach allows staff to process applications in an orderly manner while providing customers a fair opportunity to participate in the payment plan process.
JUSTIFICATION:
The purpose of this staff report is to provide the City Council and the public with an update regarding the status of the City’s utility billing recovery efforts, including the City’s transition back to a regular billing schedule, implementation of the Temporary Payment Plan Policy, and the administration of delinquent accounts following the conclusion of the grace period.
The City has a responsibility to collect outstanding utility revenues necessary to support the continued operation of the electric, water, and wastewater utilities for all Banning utility customers. At the same time, staff recognize that the billing interruption and subsequent catch-up billing process created financial challenges for some customers. The recommended approach balances these considerations by continuing collection efforts in accordance with the policies followed while providing customers with notice, access to payment plan options, and a reasonable opportunity to address unpaid balances.
Temporarily deferring service discontinuance for customers with pending payment plan applications will allow staff to complete the review process before any discontinuance action is taken. This approach promotes fairness, consistency, and transparency during the City’s ongoing utility billing recovery process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There are currently approximately 3,710 delinquent utility accounts with a combined outstanding balance of $7,086,763.26.
These outstanding balances are significant and represent revenues necessary to support the continued operation, maintenance, and financial stability of the City’s utility systems. Accordingly, it is important for the City to continue working with customers to recover unpaid balances in a fair, consistent, and policybased manner.
The temporary deferral of service discontinuance for customers with pending payment plan applications does not waive or reduce outstanding balances. Rather, it affects the timing of revenue recovery while customers make their monthly installment in accordance with their approved payment plan.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. CC Resolution No. 2026-22.pdf
2. Banning_Utility_Billing_FAQ.pdf
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RESOLUTION 2026-2
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANNING, CALIFORNIA,
APPROVING A TEMPORARY PAYMENT PLAN POLICY FOR A PERIOD OF TWELVE MONTHS
WHEREAS, on November 1, 2024, the City of Banning implemented a new utility billing system, but significant technical and operational issues hindered its ability to generate bills, prompting a return to the legacy system in Tate December 2024. Due to the need to reconfigure interconnected systems, billing for water, wastewater, and electric services was interrupted for approximately six months, with billing resuming in April 2025; and WHEREAS, to address the backlog of utility bills and restore a normal billing cycle, the City increased staffing and accelerated bill production, resulting in customers receiving multiple monthly bills within a single month, which has created financial impacts for some customers; and WHEREAS, the utility billing delays resulted in the deferral of approximately six months of electric, water, and wastewater revenue, negatively impacting cash flow within the utility funds; and
WHEREAS, City Council has identified the need to provide a Temporary Payment Plan Policy that would balance revenue recovery with customer affordability; and WHEREAS, the Temporary Payment Policy will include the following:
Grace Period
A three- month Grace Period will be provided. During the Grace Period customers will have the opportunity to either pay down their balance or submit a payment plans application.
No late fees or shut offs will occur during the Grace Period.
No credit card fees will be applied during the Grace Period.
Standard shutoff process will resume after the Grace Period, which includes the discontinuance of service when a utility account becomes 60 days delinquent.
Types of Payment Plans ( defined in Administrative Policy B- 34) Extensions
Amortizations
Alternative Payment Plans
Payment Plan Terms and Deposits
6 -month term with a 5% deposit ( of delinquent balance) 12 -month term with a 10% deposit (of delinquent balance) Discontinuance of Service
During a payment plan term, if an account becomes 60 -days delinquent, the City shall discontinue service
Exceptions: Special Medical and Financial Circumstances ( defined in Administrative Policy B- 34)
Late Fees
Late fees will not be assessed during the term of a payment plan Credit Card Fees
Credit card transaction fees will commence the next full day following the expiration of the Grace Period.
Resolution 2026-2
WHEREAS, the Temporary Payment Plan policy will be effective for 12 months from the ' February, 2026 cycle bill date and available for all customer types; and WHEREAS, this Resolution establishes a Temporary Payment Plan Policy for a period of twelve ( 12) months solely for the purpose of providing structured payment plan options to customers, and is not intended to otherwise amend, repeal, or replace the City's existing utility billing, collection, or customer account policies; and
WHEREAS, upon expiration of the twelve- month Temporary Payment Plan Policy, the City's existing policies shall continue to apply without further action of the City Council unless otherwise amended by subsequent Council action.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Banning as follows:
SECTION 1. The City Council approves Resolution 2026- 22 approving a Temporary Payment Plan Policy for a period of twelve ( 12) months.
SECTION 2. The City Manager, or designee, may approve or modify payment plan terms, or establish special payment plan arrangements on a case-by-case basis in response to documented special circumstances, so long as such actions do not conflict with the intent of this Temporary Payment Plan Policy and applicable law.
SECTION 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution and shall cause a certified resolution to be filed in the book of original resolutions.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 27th day of January 2026.
ATTEST:
Sandra Calderon, Deputy City Clerk
City of Banning
Jof:m,,,,Pinkney, City Attorne
c:.-Sfovak, Baron, Empey" rphy & Pinkney,
LLP
Resolution 2026-22
Ric/ ji/}eyor
City of Banning
1004
CERTIFICATION:
I, Sandra Calderon, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Banning, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution 2026-22, was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Banning, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 27th day of January 2026 by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Barrington, Flynn, Miller, Royce, Wallace
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Resolution 2026-22
Sandra Calderon, Deputy City Clerk
City of Banning, California
1005
City of Banning
Utility Billing Delays
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The City of Banning acknowledges the frustration and inconvenience that recent utility billing system issues have caused for our customers. We understand the impact this has had on residents and want to assure you that resolving these challenges is our highest priority.
This FAQ was created to provide clear answers to the most common questions we’ve received and to address concerns raised by the community. The City remains committed to transparency, accountability, and open communication as we work diligently to restore confidence in our utility billing system.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the City having utility billing issues?
The City has relied on its legacy utility billing software system since 1992. The system has become outdated and time-consuming to operate. For example, processing one month of utility consumption typically requires an entire month of staff effort.
In November 2024, the City introduced a new utility billing software; however, the implementation was not successful. By late December 2024, the City made the decision to revert to the legacy system. Because several related systems had been modified or replaced to accommodate the new software, it took several months to reconfigure those systems to fully resume operations with the legacy system.
During this transition period, no utility bills for water, sewer and electric were sent to customers, resulting in the utility billing delays. Utility billing was restored after an approximate six month pause on billing, resulting in the November, 2024 consumption being billed in April, 2025.
2. What is causing the delays in resolving the utility billing issues? Catching up to the current billing cycle has been challenging due to limitations with the City’s legacy system. These challenges were compounded by turnover in several key positions within the Finance Department, which oversees Utility Billing operations.
3. What is the City doing to resolve the issue and prevent it from reoccurring? City leadership has allocated and trained additional staff from multiple departments to assist with the manual review of more than 11,000 utility accounts per monthly bill. This added support has already reduced the time needed to process one month of consumption billing from four weeks down to two weeks.
The City continues to pursue solutions, including potential software upgrades, to improve the efficiency of the utility billing process and enhance transparency for our customers. Any new system or upgrade will be thoroughly evaluated through a structured planning process and implemented in a deliberate, phased manner. This will include a fully integrated implementation team of consultants and City staff; clearly defined workflows; comprehensive data migration and validation; parallel system testing prior to decommissioning any existing systems; ongoing vendor and internal support; staff training; and a post-implementation review to ensure performance objectives are met.
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4. How does the City know how much consumption I used if they are billing for consumption from several months ago?
The City installed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) several years ago. These meters, for both water and electric services, record usage in short intervals and automatically transmit the data to the City’s Meter Data Management System (MDMS).
As a result, all consumption data since the billing issues began in November 2024 has been accurately recorded and stored in the MDMS, ensuring that customers are billed based on their actual usage for the month they are being billed for.
On the City’s utility bill, a date range is shown next to the “Electric Monthly Charge” and “Water Monthly Charge.” This date range indicates the period during which the consumption occurred and the time frame on which the charges are based.
5. Why was auto-pay suspended?
Auto-pay has been temporarily suspended due to an unexpected issue. Auto-pay transactions are programmed to occur on the bill’s due date. With bills being sent out sooner (2 weeks instead of 4 weeks), customers were receiving new bills before the previous bill’s due date had passed.
This would have pushed the auto-pay transaction date out to the newest bill due date, eventually resulting in multiple bills being paid all at once on a single date once the billing is caught up. Suspending auto-pay prevents customers from facing an unexpectedly large withdrawal.
Auto-pay will be restored once the City is current on the backlog of bills.
6. When will the utility payment issues be resolved?
The City is working diligently to restore normal billing operations and anticipates being fully caught up in early February, 2026.
7. Can I still pay my utility bills online?
Yes. Customers can check and pay their current utility balance online here: https://banningca.gov/137/UtilityBilling
8. Are there any additional fees for using the online payment portal? No. Transaction fees are temporarily waived until the utility billing issues are resolved.
9. Will I be penalized for late payments due to the billing issues? No. Late fees are temporarily waived until the utility billing issues are resolved.
Once billing is restored to normal operations the City will offer payment plans and extensions to help manage higher balances.
10. Have there been rate increases during the utility billing delays? Yes, there have been pre-approved and pre-planned rate increase for water, wastewater and electric rates.
Water and wastewater rate increases were approved by City Council via Ordinance No. 1587 approved on November 8, 2022, and included annual rate increases effective each year on January 1st, beginning in 2023. The 1007
last rate increase approved related to water and wastewater will become effective on January 1, 2027. It should be noted that an additional increase for wastewater rates included in Council’s approval took effect on July 1, 2024.
Due to financial challenges with the Electric utility resulting from a lack of rate increase (last one occurred in 2013) and lack of external financing for capital infrastructure, City Council approved Resolution 2024-175 on November 12, 2024 which included an emergency rate increase that became effective 11/1/2024. Subsequently, after a Cost of Service Analysis, which began in December, 2024, City Council approved rates increases that would become effective annually on November 1st beginning in 2025 and the last one set to occur in 2029.
The abovementioned rate increases have led to higher than normal billing amounts, although consumption amounts have remained steady as compared to the previous year.
Contact Information
For questions or to request assistance with your utility bill, please contact our Customer Service Representatives:
- Phone: (951) 922-3185
- Hours: Monday–Friday (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM)
- In Person: City Hall, 99 E. Ramsey Street, Banning, CA 92220 - Email: [email protected]
Please know that our Customer Service Representatives are here to assist you. While they were not involved in the issues that led to the utility billing challenges, they have taken on much of the impact as the front-line point of contact for our community. We sincerely appreciate your patience, support, and understanding as we work diligently to resolve the billing issues.
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AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO AGREEMENT FOR CONTRACT SERVICES
(C01179) FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEAN-UP, ABATEMENT AND
BUILDING DEMOLITION, REPPLIER PARK BETWEEN THE CITY OF
BANNING AND ATI RESTORATION, LLC.
THIS AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE AGREEMENT FOR CONTRACT
SERVICES (“Amendment No. 1”) is entered into by and between the CITY OF BANNING (“CITY”) and ATI RESTORATION, LLC. (“Contractor”) is effective as of this day:
_______________.
RECITALS
A. City and Contractor entered into that certain Contract dated August 20, 2025 for the purpose of providing environmental clean-up, abatement, and building demolition Services (“Agreement”) for the emergency Repplier Park fire-damaged structure project, pursuant to a sole source procurement authorized by City Council Resolution No. 2025-122.
B. During the course of performing the Services, Contractor provided additional services, which were reviewed and approved by the City, including but not limited to: (i) removal of hazardous sidewalk conditions that posed an immediate public safety risk if left in place; and (ii) additional asbestos testing and remediation beyond the original scope of work.
C. City and Contractor now desire to amend the Agreement to compensate Contractor for such additional services and to increase the Contract Sum by Twenty-Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-One Dollars and Forty-Seven Cents ($23,331.47), for a total notto-exceed amount of Five Hundred Seventeen Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-One Dollars & Forty-Seven Cents ($517,831.47).
D. This Amendment No. 1 is made in compliance with the City of Banning Procurement Policies & Procedures B-30, Section 16-107(2)(B), as the increase does not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total contract amount or Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000), whichever is less.
The Parties therefore agree follows:
1. Amended Terms. The Agreement is hereby amended as follows:
1.1 The maximum compensation for the Services performed pursuant to this Amendment No. 1 shall not exceed Twenty-Three Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-One Dollars & Forty-Seven Cents ($23,331.47) thereby increasing the Contract Sum, as set forth in Section 3 of the Agreement, to Five Hundred Docusign Envelope ID: 8D74D908-41C6-8E14-818B-1063DD6BFD1C 5/12/2026
100965
Seventeen Thousand Eight Hundred Thirty-One Dollars & Forty-Seven Cents ($517,831.47).
2. Additional Services Justification. The Parties acknowledge that the additional compensation provided under this Amendment No. 1 is for necessary and unforeseen work required to safely complete the Project, including, without limitation, hazardous sidewalk removals and additional asbestos testing and remediation. Such work was authorized by the City in accordance with the Contract Documents and applicable City procedures. In consideration for the additional compensation set forth herein, Contractor has performed, and agrees to perform, such additional services, which constitute extra work beyond the original scope of the Agreement.
3. Miscellaneous Provisions
3.1 Continued Effect of Agreement. Except as amended by this Amendment No. 1, all provisions of the Agreement shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect. From and after the date of this Amendment No. 1, whenever the term “Agreement” appears in the Agreement, it shall mean the Agreement, as amended by Amendment No. 1. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Amendment No. 1 and the provisions of the Agreement, the provisions of this Amendment No. 1 shall control.
3.2 Consideration for Amendment. The parties hereby agree that they have each received adequate and independent consideration for the modifications to the Agreement set forth in this Amendment No. 1.
3.3 Authority. The persons executing this Amendment No. 1 on behalf of the parties hereto warrant that (i) such party is duly organized and existing, (ii) they are duly authorized to execute and deliver this Amendment No. 1 on behalf of said party, (iii) by so executing this Amendment No. 1, such party is formally bound to the provisions of this Amendment No. 1, and (iv) entering into this Amendment No. 1 does not violate any provision of any other agreement to which said party is bound.
3.4 Counterparts. This Amendment No. 1 may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which will be an original, but all of which together will constitute one instrument.
3.5 Electronic Signatures. Each Party may adopt as its signature an electronic identification consisting of a symbol or code that is affixed to or contained in each document transmitted by such Party (“electronic signature”). The Parties hereto herby agree that electronic signatures are acceptable, shall have the same force and effect under the law as original wet signatures, and shall be sufficient to verify that the Parties have executed this Agreement and such other documents transmitted by the Parties.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
Docusign Envelope ID: 8D74D908-41C6-8E14-818B-1063DD6BFD1C 101066
The Parties are signing this Amendment No. 1 on the date stated in the introductory clause.
CITY OF BANNING CONTRACTOR
Elizabeth Gibbs,
City Manager
NAME:
TITLE:
City Council Approval: _______________ NAME:
TITLE:
ATTEST:
Sandra B. Calderon
Deputy City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Slovak Baron Empey Murphy & Pinkney
John Pinkney
City Attorney
NOTE: PROOF OF AUTHORITY TO BIND CONTRACTING PARTY REQUIRED.
APPROPRIATE ATTESTATIONS SHALL BE INCLUDED AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE
BYLAWS, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, OR OTHER RULES OR REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO CONTRACTOR’S BUSINESS ENTITY.
Docusign Envelope ID: 8D74D908-41C6-8E14-818B-1063DD6BFD1C Sean Wisdom
Regional Vice President of Operations
N/A
101167