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Ordinance No. 571-19 Low Income AssistanceORDINANCE NO. 571-19 AN ORDINANCE OF THE SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT AMENDING SECTION 6.1.9 OF DIVISION 6 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE REGARDING THE LOW-INCOME CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND SUPERSEEDING ORDINANCE NO. 501-07 IN ITS ENTIRETY Be it enacted by the Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District, County of El Dorado, State of California, as follows: SECTION 1 — POLICY AND PURPOSE The purpose of this Ordinance is to amend certain sections of the Administrative Code regarding the District's Low -Income Customer Assistance Program. SECTION II — DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Ordinance, the terms used herein are defined as follows: A. The District — The South Tahoe Public Utility District. B. The Board — The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District. C. Administrative Code — The compilation and codification of all of the Administrative, Water, Sewer, Street Lighting and Groundwater Management Plan Ordinances of the District, which establish the authority and the principles for decisions of the District, and provide the public with guidelines applicable to District operations. SECTION III — FINDINGS The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District, County of El Dorado, State of California, make the following findings: 1. The District currently has available a Low -Income Customer Assistance Program for eligible customers offering a 20% discount to the District water and or sewer bills. 2. The District is anticipating adopting a five-year schedule of annual water and sewer rate increases beginning July 1, 2019, and believes the impact may create a financial hardship to some customers. 3. The District desires to amend the Administrative Code to increase the Low -Income Customer Assistance Program discount rate to 25%. 4. The Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest of the District and community to adopt this Ordinance with respect to offering financial assistance to low-income customers. 5. The Low -Income Customer Assistance Program will not be funded with customer's service charges but with District revenue from property tax receipts. SECTION IV — AMENDING SECTION 6.1.9 OF DIVISION 6 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE Section 6.1.9 of Division 6 of the Administrative Code is amended as follows: "6.1.9 The District offers a Low -Income Customer Assistance Program for qualifying residential customers. The Property must be owner or full-time tenant occupied. Program specifications are as follows: a.) Eligibility is based upon current participation in the Liberty Utilities Care Program. b.) The amount of the discount is 25% of the standard residential water and sewer rate. c.) The Program may apply to rental properties if the tenant can demonstrate, through a rental or lease agreement, that they are financially responsible for paying the water, and or sewer bill. d.) The Program is subject to annual renewal and may require additional proof of eligibility. e.) The District, at its discretion, may remove the applicant from the program if it has reason to believe the applicant is no longer eligible or does not meet Program requirements." This Ordinance hereby supersedes Ordinance Number 501-07 in its entirety, and amends Section 6.1.9 of Division 6 of the Administrative Code regarding the Low -Income Customer Assistance Program. SECTION V — SEVERABILITY If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance and its implementing rules and regulations is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or the Administrative Code. The Board of Directors declares and determines that it would have passed section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase thereof of this Ordinance and its implementing rules and regulations and the Administrative Code irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases may be determined to be unconstitutional or invalid. SECTION VI — EFFECTIVE DATE This Ordinance amending the above referenced section of the Administrative Code shall be effective thirty (30) days after execution. PASSED AND ENACTED by the Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District at its duly held regular meeting on the 18th of April 2019 by the following vote: AYES: CEFALU, JONES, VOGELGESANG, SHEEHAN, EXLINE NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE Randy Vogelgesang, President Vwml�- L?South Tahoe Public Utility District ATTEST: Melonie Guttry, Exec tive Servic Manager/ Board Clerk South Tahoe Public Utility District