Susana Alcala Wood, City Attorney Jorge Oseguera, City Auditor Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk Howard Chan, City Manager John Colville, City Treasurer City Council Report
915 I Street, 1st Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2022-00689 April 05, 2022 Consent Item 04
Title: State Water Resources Control Board: California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Pass a motion authorizing the City Manager or City Manager’s designee to: 1) submit an application to the State Water Resources Control Board for the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Program (CWWAPP) for the wastewater arrearage amount not to exceed $2,125,000; and 2) accept funds from the CWWAPP not to exceed a total amount of $2,125,000 or the amount awarded in order to address COVID-19 related wastewater arrearages.
Contact: William O. Busath, Director (916) 808-1434, [email protected], A nne
Sanger, Government Affairs Program Manager, [email protected], (916) 808- 1635, Chuong (Ryan) Pham, Business Services Manager, (916) 808-8995, [email protected], Fadi Geagea, Billing Services Manager, (916) 808-49 28, [email protected], Department of Utilities
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
File ID: 2022-00689 Consent Item 04
April 05, 2022
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City of Sacramento
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The City of Sacramento’s (City) Department of Utilities (DOU) is seeking approval for the submission of the necessary application and subsequent receiving of funding made available from the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) through the California Water and Wastewater Arrearage Payment Plan (CWWAPP) by the passage of AB 148. The CWWAPP payments are one-time monies made available to assist water utilities with revenue losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, the CWWAPP is only addressing wastewater arrearages, having already processed drinking water arrearages.
Policy Considerations: City Council approval to apply for and receive funds of more than $250,000.00.
Economic Impacts: None
Environmental Considerations: It has been determined that the proposed activity is not a project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378(b). The activities described in this report are an ongoing administrative fiscal activities and are not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3).
Sustainability: Not Applicable
Commission/Committee Action: Not Applicable
Rationale for Recommendation: Many Sacramento residents have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and were unable to pay their water and wastewater bills. DOU was directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the same manner as some residents were unable to pay their bills. The passage and chaptering of AB 148 has made $985 million available in the state to address COVID-19 related water and wastewater arrearages.
If granted by City Council, DOU will submit an application to the CWWAPP not to exceed $2,125,000.00 for wastewater arrearages, DOU will then issue credits to the customer accounts in the amount of the arrearage that was listed on the application to the SWRCB.
Financial Considerations: Approval of the application submission will allow the City to receive an amount not-to-exceed $2,125,000.00 for wastewater arrearages. Credits will be directly applied to customer utility accounts. No budget adjustment is necessary.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not Applicable
File ID: 2022-00689 Consent Item 04
April 05, 2022
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City of Sacramento
Background: The CWWAPP is a short-term state program created to provide one-time state funding to community water systems (CWS) who are carrying customer arrearages brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation stipulates that if a CWS receives CWWAPP funding, and the customer’s arrearages are not fully covered, DOU cannot simply perform a service shutoff. DOU is required to communicate with the customer to attempt to sign them up on a payment plan. If a customer refuses a payment plan or fails to sign up, DOU would still be required to execute all necessary procedures to comply with the Water Shutoff Protection Act before proceeding with service shutoffs. Presently DOU does not shut off water service on any account.