Woodland is setting aside more money to help homeowners who have trouble paying their water and sewer rates beginning July 1.
As approved Tuesday night by the City Council, each of an estimated 468 low-income homeowners will receive as much as $480 in aid over the next fiscal year.
The plan doesn’t affect renters, which drew an observation from Councilman Enrique Fernandez that some means should be found to help them as well. But thus far no one seems to know how that can be done.
“It’s still worth striving to figure out how we can apply this benefit to renters in our community,” Fernandez said. “We’re basically using PG&E standards and we’re not looking at seniors.”
“I appreciate the desire but I don’t know how you can make it work,” said Councilman Tom Stallard.
Fernandez agreed it would be complex, but noted people who are renters also generally need assistance with their water bills just as much as homeowners.
“If you can come up with something that’s workable I will be there,” Stallard responded, noting that giving money to apartment landlords probably wouldn’t trickle down to their tenants.
City Manager Paul Navazio concurred and said the city is “actively engaged” in trying to find other communities which provide utility assistance to renters, but has so far been unable to do so.
He also referred to state legislation that provides a statewide “ratepayer assistance model” because there are other cities in similar straits.
Cities across the state are being forced to tap into new water sources, or clean up their existing water supplies, to meet health and safety codes. As a result some cities are increasing their water rates to pay for new treatment plants or water sources, which makes it more difficult for people to pay their water and sewer bills.
Woodland is no longer using its wells but instead taps into the Sacramento River, a process that required about four years of construction and $160 million in new treatment plants and delivery systems. Because of that water rates have risen over the years, the most recent — around 5.5 percent — took effect in April.
Residents complained about the increase with many saying low-income homeowners and seniors would be hard pressed to pay their bills.
The council has been sympathetic to such worries and vowed to increase its assistance levels. It did so in the next fiscal year budget.
All of the council agreed the increase was needed, but Mayor Angel Barajas urged city staff to make sure the low-income communities were contacted and received the needed education on how to fill out the application forms.
The city has provided utility assistance to qualified residents since 2009, but funding has not been consistent due to both skimpy participation as well as available revenue sources.
The first assistance program was funded through Community Development Block Grant funds and only allocated $15 a month for up to three consecutive months within a 12-month period for qualifying applicants.
In June 2014, voters passed Measure J and approved an advisory measure, Measure N, to allocate 5 percent of those revenues to support a water and sewer utility ratepayer assistance program for low-income residents. However, participation remained low and less than $30,000 of the program funds were used.
In October 2015, the Water Utility Advisory Committee recommended changes in the program in an attempt to increase participation and the city offered $75 a month for as long as six months.
During the last fiscal year, 2016-17, $125,000 was allocated for the program, which provided $60 a month for six months during a twelve-month period. Some 346 households participated and the funds were exhausted within three months.
In March with the passage of the updated water rates — when the council said it wanted to expand the program — city staff budgeted $225,000 for the 2017-18 fiscal year.
Based on the number of participants previously as well as the estimated number of applications that were denied due to lack of funding, the budget now offers $40 a month for 12 months, or $480 a year. The program will begin July 1 and end on June 30, 2018, with those who apply and are approved being able to get a full year of the subsidy.
Those who enroll later will receive the subsidy for as many months that remain through June 20, 2018. Subsidies will be provided until funds are exhausted, which will occur on a “first come, first served” basis.
