Ordinance No. 466-98ORDINANCE NO. 466-98
AN ORDINANCE OF THE SOUTH TAHOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT ADDING
SECTIONS 2.8.1 THROUGH 2.8.8 TO ORDINANCE NO. 464 UNDER THE
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE DIV1SION 2 AND AUTHORIZING THE ADMINIS-
TRATION OF THE "HELPING HANDS OUTREACH (H20) PROGRAM"
The Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District, E1 Dorado County, State
of California (District) makes the following findings:
A. The District provides water and sewer utility service at reasonable costs to its
customers within the service area of the District.
B. The District is a political subdivision of the State of California.
C. The District recognizes that many of its residential customers, often through no fault
of their own, need help on occasion to pay their delinquent and unpaid utility service bills.
D. The District has investigated a variety of recovery methods associated with delinquent
and unpaid charges and has determined in many in~tances the pursuit of delinquent and unpaid utility
service charges involVes a substantial cost to the District and/or the termination of service to the
customer.
E. The District has investigated a variety of means of obtaining contributions for indigent
customers whose utility service accounts are delinquent and unpaid and has determined it has the
authority to develop alternative methods of payment and provide a means of financial assistance.
F. The District has determined the El Dorado County Department of Community Ser-
vices has previously screened citizens of El Dorado County for eligibility in receiving financial
assistance for other types of delinquent and unpaid public service charges.
G. The District has determined the E1 Dorado County Department of Community Ser-
vices is capable of screening District customers to determine eligibility to receive financial assistance
for delinquent and unpaid District utility service charges.
H. The District has determined the establishment and maintenance ora financial assistance
program are exempt from further environmental review under the California Environmental Quality
Act and Title 14, Section 15061 of the California Code of Regulations as there is no possibility that
the establishment and maintenance of the program may have a significant effect on the environment.
I. Based upon the foregoing investigations and determinations, the District finds it may
offer and administer a financial assistance program for indigent residential District customers who
cannot pay their District utility service charges, which program will be known as the "Helping Hands
Outreach (H20) Program."
BE IT ENACTED, by the Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District, County of
E1 Dorado, California, that the following Sections 2.8.1 through 2.8.8 are hereby added to Ordinance
No. 464 under the Administrative Code Division 2:
Article VIII. Helping Hands Outreach (H20) Pro,ram
Section 2.8.1 Purpose
The purpose of this article is to establish and provide for the maintenance of a District admin-
istered financial assistance program which will make available a source of privately donated
contributions for indigent residential customers of the District who have delinquent and unpaid
District utility service charges and who can demonstrate financial need. The financial assistance
program shall be known as the Helping Hands Outreach (H20) Program. Private donations to the
Program shall be separately deposited into a special District account and the funds will be made
available by the District for customers previously screened and approved as eligible by the E1 Dorado
County Department of Community Services. This article is intended to supplement, and not replace,
any provision in the Administrative Code relating to utility service rates and charges.
Section 2.8.2 Authorization of Helping Hands Outreach (H20) Account
A financial assistance account shall be established and maintained by the District's Chief
Financial Officer or his or her designee for the purposes of providing financial assistance to cus-
tomers of the District who have delinquent and unpaid utility service charges and who can demon-
strate financial need. The financial assistance account shall be known as the Helping Hands
Outreach (H20) Account. The account shall be funded only through direct private contributions by
members of the public. No District funds shall be deposited or transferred to this account. The con-
tributions received and distributed from the account shall be kept separate from any other financial
accounts managed by the District. The principal and interest of the account shall be distributed
solely for the benefit of eligible applicants. There shall be no distribution of funds from the financial
assistance account until the account balance maintains a minimum of five hundred dollars ($500).
Section 2.8.3 Funding the Account
The District may establish mechanisms to raise funds for the Helping Hands Outreach (H20)
Account for subsequent distribution on behalf of customers who have applied for financial assistance
and have met the requisite financial need criteria. These fund raising mechanisms may include, but
are not limited to: soliciting money from private customers through bill statements; an annual fund-
raising effort; and automatic payroll deductions.
H20ORD.HTM:7627.1
2
Section 2.8.4 Application for Financial Assistance
Any District customer who can demonstrate financial need and has delinquent and unpaid
utility service charges may apply for financial assistance through the Helping Hands Outreach (H20)
Program. Customer applications for financial assistance shall be made in writing to the E1 Dorado
County Department of Community Services on such forms as may be prescribed by the District,
signed by the applicant and shall include the following: (1) the applicant's name, billing address,
and service address; (2) the amount of the delinquent and unpaid utility service charge(s); (3) the
applicant's monthly income; (4) the applicant's monthly expenditures; (5) any other types of financial
assistance the applicant is receiving; and (6) any other information the E1 Dorado County
Department of Community Services may deem necessary in determining the applicant's financial
need and eligibility for financial assistance. The application form shall then be submitted directly
by the applicant to the E1 Dorado County Department of Community Services. In order to be eligible
for financial assistance, the applicant's utility bill must be at least 30 days in arrears, a copy of the
delinquent utility bill must be provided, and the applicant or the applicant's household must not have
received financial assistance through the Helping Hands Outreach (H20) Program within the
previous thirty-six (36) months.
Section 2.8.5 Processing the Application
Each application for financial assistance shall be reviewed and evaluated by the E1 Dorado
County Department of Community Services as soon as practicable after the application has been
filed in proper form. The E1 Dorado County Department of Community Services will review and
evaluate applications based on the criteria described in Section 2.8.4. The E1 Dorado County Depart-
ment of Community Services shall have sole discretion and responsibility, given the standards and
policies stated in this article, to identify and qualify eligible applicants. All allocation schedule and
payment vouchers will be established by the E1 Dorado County Department of Community Services
so as to expend Helping Hands Outreach (H20) Program funds in a judicious manner. No delinquent
and unpaid utility service account may receive a transfer of funds from the Helping Hands Outreach
(H20) Account more than once in any thirty-six (36) month period.
Section 2.8.6 Coordination with the El Dorado County Department of Community Services
The District shall provide, on a periodic basis, an accounting report notifying the E1 Dorado
County Department of Community Services of the available funds in the Helping Hands Outreach
(H20) Account. Any administrative fees charged by the E1 Dorado County Department of Commu-
nity Services for purposes of screening and approving eligible applicants shall be paid solely from
the Helping Hands Outreach (H20) Account.
Section 2.8.7 Confidentiality
3
H2OORD.WPD:7627.1
District shall not divulge, publicize, reveal or otherwise disclose to any person, other than
the E1 Dorado County Department of Community Services, any information regarding or relating to
a customer's application for, or receipt of, financial assistance from the Helping Hands Outreach
(H20) Program, except as required by law.
Section 2.8.8 Non-Discrimination
All services rendered as a result of the enactment of this article shall comply with the Federal
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. No person shall be
denied financial assistance on the grounds of age, race, creed, color, gender, religion, national origin,
or handicap.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Directors of the South Tahoe Public Utility District at
its duly held regular meeting on the ~_.day of fF)tOr-~'~,/q ,1998 by the following vote:
AYES: Wallace Mosbacher Gochn~uer _./3 ~ ~-)
NOES: None , ' ~' C?
ABSENT: Strohm, Jones
Jam~~'dent of the Board
South Tahoe Public Utility District
ATTEST:
'Sl~a~, clerk ~)¥ the~oard/
Executive-Secretary
H20ORD.HTM:7627.1
AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING
State of California )
)ss
County of El Dorado )
I, :~ ~J-~ ~ [ ,.,: -L"-,, eing first duly sworn, deposes and says:
That for and on behalf of the Clerk of Board of the SOUTH TAHOE
PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT, affiant posted copies of ~/~'('J, h0, C((~ (~_ c~
in form attached hereto and by reference made a part hereof, in four (4) public
places in the District as follows:
City of South Lake Tahoe
Administration Building
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Al Tahoe Post Office Station
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Tahoe Valley Post Office Station (Y area)
South Lake Tahoe, CA
4. Tahoe Paradise Post Office Station
South Lake Tahoe, CA
That said posting was completed on the
day of
~igne~'by: :
Subscribed and sworn
to me this ~_7/',~ ¢~-
day of
19c2~
clerk of t~/Board
SOUTH T~HOE PUBLIC UTILITY DISTRICT
AFF~OA'4F~ OF
pUe, L~CA'T~ON
~N. SUE~ -
~.= ~,~AOOW u~ ¢~ q6150
S%A%E OF CALiFORNiA
~ am a citizen oi the Uo~te¢ stCes
and a resiQent oi the Count~
ioresai8; ~ am over ei9hteen yearS,
and not a part to or interesteQ
the above entit~e¢ meet, ~ am the
~rincipa~ c~erk oi the 9tinter oi the
Tahoe Dai~ Tribune, a newspaper
of general circulation, 9tinted and
published Monday through Friday
in the City of South Lake Tahoe,
County of El Dorado, and which
newspaper has been adjudicated a
newspaper oi general circulation
by the Superior Court of the
County of E~ Dorado, State of
California under the date March 6,
1970, Case Number 18569, that
the notice of which the annexed is
a printed copy (set in type not
smaller than six (6) point), has
been published in each regular
and entire issue of s~6 ~ewspaper
and not in any supplemental
therefore on the following dates, to
wit:
'fha
south
Distr~ct,
State
The
The
MAR 20, 1998
I certify under penalty, that the
foregoing is true and correct·
Dated at South Lake Tahoe,
California this:
24th Day of March 1998
Signed: ~_ .~0 ,~An~_
Shelley Alexander - Legal Clerk
Calitomla. ,-. recognizes that
C. The Dismgt
maa¥ ct its residential
custdmers, often through no
· ,- -, ,hei~ own, need
'a~';sU',;n to P"~
cc .... aid utiti~
detinquent aaa u,~
se~ice biffs.
D. The Distri~ has investigated
a vari~ '
made
financier
delinquent and
utility sewice charges.~., nad'
H. The District h. aS ~,nn~erm"~,~
the establishmen
maintenance of a finance
assistance program
exempt trom turtt~
environmental review und~
t the California Environmental
Quality Act and Title 14,
l Section 15061 of the Calit~a
code o! Regulations as there is
1 no possibility that the
establishment
maintenance o! the
may have a significant ~
on the environment. - -
L Based upon the foreg~g
investigallons
determinations, the ~
flnde it may offer
administer . '
asslstenoe ' program
indigent re~idential
customers' who 'canno{ ~'Pay
I their District utility ~rvlce~
known .~ tl~ "H~lping Hlndlt
article
o!
This
intended to
an~
~ngto
L r~es and
or
)umosee
financial
ct t~e
who have dell~uent
~arges I~ who carl
~monatrate flnanatal hood.
~unL T~ a~unl
~ fu~ o~ throuoh
~m ~ ~ ~bl~, Nc
~t~ ~ ~r~ to ~ie
~t,' ~e ~tribut~n4
r~lv~-~, d~d~d fron
s~rate fr~ 8ny othe
~1 ~/managed b~
D~. ;~p81 8n(
The District may e ~ s practlcavm~ "" lied in
1964 aha
..... ~.ms to raise funds 1~ \ la --ce, lion has ueen f! ~o ties A~, ~ ame~ed'~
m~, ..... : ~ o~reacn/ ~a~. . ' T~ El oorau ~
~oper ~orm. DiSa~.~n shal be
the Helping ...... ~s~uent~ ~CounY ~-~ces will~ No V~'~' --~s~Ce O~
ground .... ~-ion
for financial as~st~nce and~ review ~'~ ~ed on the ~ 0r enter m~ e
have met the r~uisite fin~Ci~l~ appticatiOpS ~ ~ ~e~ion ~ col , g "ica'
o~ t~ or h~ P'
criteria de~rib~ in ~
need ofltefla. These lunds ~ 8 4 Tho Et Dorado Cou~ g' , ~D by
raising mechanisms maY, 2. · . __., ct Communiw ~ the ~a? ~-~'~ic
~cl~e, but ~e not limlt~ ~: ~ Oepaffm=-' _,, have sole ~
solldang money from Pfivaet SeWic~s ~". snonsibilitY/~ South ~anuu .u
customers through bill / discra~on ='~ .e ! - --- t Distri~ at its duty held
~licles ~t~ in ~ls ~m~ ~e~ ~arch, 1998 by the l~lowing
raising afroS; ~d ~mmaflcl · ,and qual~ ellg
payroll ~dU~ns' - iden~l~_ ~ local OhS t vote:
~on a.[4 A~!I~ mr ~ ~ apohcantS.~eduleandr'll payment' I AYES: Wallace,' Mosbacher,
vouchers will be established by Gochnauer
the El Dorado County
Department of Community /
t SerVices so as" to expend l
Helping Hands Outreach,
(H20) Program funds in a/
I judicious manner. No t
[delinquent and unpaid utility,
~ service account may receive a /
l transfer of funds from the'
/ Helping Hands Outreach
(H20) Account more than once [
in any thirty-six (36) month
Any District customer who can
demonstrate financial need l
and has delinquent and unpaid
utility service charges may
apply for financial assistance
through the Helping Hands
Outreach (H20) Program.
Customer applications for
financial assistance shall be[
made in writing to the El
Dorado County Department of
Community Services on such
forms as may be prescribed by
the District, signed by the
applicant and shall include the
foltowing: (1) the applica~'s
name, billing address, and[
service address; (2) the
amount of the delinquent and
Unpaid utility service charge(s);
(3) the applicant's monthly
income; (4) the applicant's
monthly expenditures; (5) any I
other types of financial
assistance the applicant is
receiving; and (6) any other
information the El Dorado
County Department of
Community Services may
deem necessary In determining
the applicant's financial need
and eligibility for financial
assistance. The application
form shall then be submitted
directly by the applicant by the
to the El' Dorado County
Department of Community
Services, In order to be eligible
for financial assistance, the
applicant's utility bill must be at
least 30 days in arream, a copy
Icl the delinquent utility bill must
be provided, and the applicant
or the applicant's household
must not have received
financial assistance through
NOES: None
ABSENT: Stfohm, Jones
IS/James R. Jones, President
of the Board
South Tahoe Public Utility
District
AFl'EST:
Sharp,
period.
ISection 2.8.6 Coordination
with the El Dorado County
Department of Community,
Services
The District shall provide, on a
periodic basis, an accounting
report notifying the El Dorado
County Department of
Community Services of the
available funds in the Helping
Hands Outreach (H20)
Account, any administrative
fees charged by the El Dorado
County Department of
Community Services
purposes of screening and
approving eligible applicants
shall be paid solely from the
Helping Hands. Outreach
(H20) Account.
~eflon 2.8.7 Confidentiality
District shall not divulge,
pubtldze, reveal 'or otherwise
disclose to any perSOn, other
th~n the El Dorado County
Department of