Agenda - 12-07-2020; 4-a - OWASA Update on Unpaid Bills

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4 Customer Assistance for OWASA Bills November 17, 2020 Page 3 fiscal year(July 2020 through December 2020) and assumed that demands would rebound in 2021. Unfortunately, we assumed incorrectly as the pandemic is now projected to extend well into 2021. Thus, revenues will continue to be below normal, and we have been cautiously anticipating this in our routine expenditures. As we look forward to Fiscal Year 2022, it will be increasingly detrimental to the quality and reliability of water and wastewater services to not raise rates. As such, it will be imperative to enhance and expand other means of assisting those who need it most with paying their utility bills. Our suspension of service disconnection for non-payment is not a sustainable strategy for OWASA, nor for the customers with growing balances. Most of our utility neighbors have resumed standard collection practices. Our delay is related to the overall State of Emergency in our County. Meanwhile, the debt owed by customers with past due balances has grown. Unfortunately, we are not able to discount or waive rates and fees due a customer's ability to pay. State law does not allow OWASA to pay off customer debt with reserves or any revenue collected from rates, fees, or charges. We are working to raise contributions to our Care to Share water bill assistance program, support state and federal grants for utility bill assistance, and establish an extended payment plan to allow customers time to pay their past due balances free of interest and fees. Care to Share: Donor-Supported Customer Assistance Program Our community has one of the first customer-assistance programs in the state (established in 1997). The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service has been our partner in administering Care to Share funds since the beginning of the program. Through the Care to Share program,residents can request financial assistance to pay their OWASA bill or rent if utilities are included. There is no official income eligibility for Care to Share funds. Recently,we have worked with the IFC to develop a streamlined referral process from OWASA customer service to the IFC for Care to Share assistance. The Care to Share program is funded 100%by donations. Last month, nearly 1,000 members of our community donated over$1,400 through on-bill donations to help their neighbors pay for water utility bills. Current donations are at an all-time high(Figure 1). Over the past three years, on-bill donations have nearly tripled. This is the result of increased promotion of the program by OWASA and local elected officials through the annual Care to Share Day(celebrated on November 19 this year) and Giving Tuesday Now(a COVID-19 fundraiser) campaigns, as well as a focused campaign to encourage contributors to consider an increase in their monthly donations.