08-02-2013 BPU RPT 04 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

W A T E R E N E R G Y L I C E Mkl& RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: August 2, 2013 ITEM NO: 4 SUBJECT: LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE — THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT TO THE SHARING HOUSEHOLDS ASSIST RIVERSIDE'S ENERGY PROGRAM AGREEMENT AND FUTURE ADMINISTRATION ISSUE: The issues for Board of Public Utilities consideration is approval of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Sharing Households Assist Riverside's Energy (SHARE) Program Agreement with the County of Riverside. RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Board of Public Utilities: 1. Recommend that the City Council approve the Thirteenth Amendment to the SHARE Agreement with the County of Riverside Department of Public Social Services — Department of Community Action (County) to extend the SHARE program from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014 in the amount of $1.9 million; and 2. Recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to approve payments up to 25%, or $475,000, above the SHARE Agreement amount if allocated funds are depleted before the contract term ends. BACKGROUND: On March 1, 2013, the Chairman of the Energy Task Force for the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County sent a letter to all members of Riverside Public Utilities' (RPU) Board regarding support levels for the low-income assistance program, SHARE (Attachment 1). The CAP's letter suggested that RPU's levels of support for the SHARE Program had been reduced or changed by RPU, specifically, that the income qualification limits had been lowered reducing access to the program. In response to the County's letter, staff reported background information about the SHARE Program to the Board on April 5, 2013 (Attachment 2). RPU's findings were not consistent with the County's interpretation of support levels relating to the Program. Most significantly, the report shows RPU has never changed the income qualification levels since the County began administering the program in 1999. Instead, CAP improperly applied support payments to clients that were not supported by the contract At the conclusion of the report to the Board of Public Utilities, staff suggested a response in the form of a letter to the Chairman of the Energy Task Force of CAP, as well as an invitation to further initiate dialogue with the County on a staff to staff level (Attachment 3). The Board recommended to proceed with the actions and directed staff to report back with alternative administrative options for the Program.