591-24 Amending Administrative Code Section 6.1.9 Low-Income ProgramORDINANCE NO. 591-24
AN ORDINANCE OF THE SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY
DISTRICT AMENDING ADMINISTRATIVE CODE SECTION 6.1.9 REGARDING THE
LOW-INCOME CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND REPEALING
ORDINANCE NO.571-19 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 I - POLICY AND PURPOSE
The purpose of this Ordinance is to adopt certain changes to the Administrative Code
amending the terms of the Low -Income Customer Assistance Program.
SECTION II — DEFINITIONS
For the purposes 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 and Sewer Ordinances of the District, which establish the
authority and the principles for the decisions of the District, and provide the
public with guidelines applicable to District operations.
D. Federal Povegy Level — The poverty guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and
the District of Columbia as established annually by the federal Department of
Health and Human Services.
SECTION III — FINDINGS
The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District, El Dorado County,
State of California, makes the following findings:
1. The Board passed and adopted Ordinance No. 501-07 in November 2007, which
established a program to provide a discount on water and sewer utility charges to low-income
customers.
2. The Board passed and adopted Ordinance No. 571-19 in April 2019, which
increased the discount provided in the Low-income Customer Assistance Program from 20% to
25% of water and sewer utility charges.
3. The Board adopted a five-year schedule of annual water and sewer rate increases
beginning July 1, 2024, and received feedback from customers who are not eligible for the
current customer assistance program that the adopted rate increases will be a financial hardship
for them.
4. The District desires to amend the Low-income Customer Assistance Program by
creating a second program tier expanding program eligibility to residential customers with
household incomes up to 300% of the established Federal Poverty Level.
5. The discount provided by the Low -Income Customer Assistance Program is
funded exclusively by the District's non -rate revenue sources.
6. The Board has determined that it is in the best interest of the District and its
customers to amend the terms of the Low-income Customer Assistance Program to expand
program eligibility and continue to offer financial assistance to low-income customers.
SECTION IV — AMENDING SECTION 6.1.9 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Section 6.1.9 "Low -Income Customer Assistance Program") of the South Tahoe Public
Utility District Administrative Code is hereby amended to provide as follows:
"6.1.9 Low -Income Customer Assistance Pro rangy The District offers a two -
tiered Low -Income Customer Assistance Program for qualifying residential customers. The
Property must be owner or full-time tenant occupied. Customers are eligible to enroll in only one
of the two Program tiers and cannot enroll in both. Program specifications are as follows:
1. Tier 1 Customer Assistance Program Terms:
a) Eligibility is based upon current participation in the Liberty Utilities Care
Program.
b) The amount of the rebate is 25% of the standard residential water and/or
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.
2. Tier 2 Customer Assistance Program Terms:
a) Eligibility is based upon the full-time home occupants certifying that their
total household income is 300% or less of the current federal poverty level.
b) The amount of the rebate is 15% of the standard residential water and/or
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."
SECTION V — REPEAL ORDINANCE NO.571-19
Ordinance No. 571-19 is hereby repealed in its entirety.
SECTION VI — ADD DEFINITION TO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
The following definition shall be added alphabetically to Section 1 of the Administrative
Code and the affected existing definitions shall be renumbered accordingly:
"Federal Poverty Level" means the poverty guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the
District of Columbia as established annually by the federal Department of Health and Human
Services.
SECTION VII — 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 VIII — EFFECTIVE DATE
This Ordinance amending the above referenced sections of the Administrative Code shall
take effect thirty days after its passage.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility
District at its duly held regular meeting on the 1 st day of August 2024, by the following vote:
AYES: Haven, Sheehan, Exline
NOES: N/A
ABSENT: Peterson, Romsos
L
David Peterson, President
South Tahoe Public Utility District
ATTEST: A&2�- bq*n
Melonie Guttry, Executive Ser4ces Manager/
Clerk of the Board
South Tahoe Public Utility District