Agenda - 12-01-2008 - Mgr Info - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMORANDUM TO: Orange County Board of County Commissioners COPIES: Laura Blackmon, County Manager Willie Best, Assistant County Manager FROM: R. Kevin Lindley, PE, Engineering Specialist I DATE: 11/25/08 SUBJECT: Assistance for Low-Income Efland Sewer Customers At previous BOCC meetings during the discussion on raising the rates for Efland sewer customers, the BOCC requested information on the types of programs which may be available for assisting low-income residents with higher sewer bills. The following are either existing programs or previously used programs which may be able to ameliorate the burden caused by higher rates. Existing Pro rg ams The County's Department of Social Services (DSS) currently has a program to help customers with utility bills and other emergencies. This program, called Emergency Assistance (EA), offers up to $150 for customers who are in danger of having utility services disconnected. The $150 is the maximum amount available to the citizen in a six month time frame. It can be accessed all at once or in multiple installments during any six month period. To qualify, a citizen must be at or below 200% of the poverty level income for their family size (shown in chart below) and must have evidence that service disconnection is imminent, e.g. a letter from the utility provider. This program has the advantage of being an existing, funded program with which DSS is familiar and for which they have dedicated staff. The disadvantage is that there is a limited amount of assistance available every six months, so if an Efland sewer customer has already used EA for some other need in the previous six months, there may be no assistance available for the customer's sewer bills. 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2008 - (Monthly Gross Income Amounts) Family Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 200% $1,733 $2,333 $2,933 $3,533 $4,133 $4,733 $5,333 $5,933 Note: For each additional family member add $600 to the monthly gross income amount Samaritan Relief is an existing program administered by Orange Congregations in Mission (OCIM). Through this program citizens that are facing disconnection of water/sewer (or other utility) service can be qualified by Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) and referred to OCIM or contact OCIM directly for qualification on a case-by-case basis. OCIM then gives up to $100 every six months to the customer towards their bill, in much the same fashion as the EA program detailed above. The assistance is in the form of a check made out to the utility from OCIM and the customer. Any citizen