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l 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 CFFY ATToRNEYS OFFICE 39001V[AIN STREU RIVERSIDE, CA 92522 (951) 826-5567 RESOLUTION NO. 2021-1 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA (1) ADOPTING REVISED ELECTRIC RULE 4 AND WATER RULE 4; (2) MAKING FINDINGS OF FACT; AND (3) RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL THEREOF WHEREAS, the City of Riverside's ("City") Department of Public Utilities ("RPU") has submitted for action by the Board of Public Utilities ("Board") and the City Council, the proposed adoption and approval of revised Electric Rule 4 and Water Rule 4, as further explained herein; and WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the Riverside City Council ratified a local emergency declaration by the Emergency Services Director in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, This action was preceded by emergency declarations by the County of Riverside, the State of California and the Federal Government; and WHEREAS, the COVID-19 crisis has been the greatest economic shock to the United States and our local economy arguably since the Great Depression — landing hardest on our local small businesses, the heart of our local economy and greater community life. This pandemic has reminded us all the large and often outsized role that small businesses play and continue to play in our economy and lives — employing 47% of the nation's workforce, generating two-thirds of new jobs and serving as a critical path to economic mobility and self-sufficiency. WHEREAS, on March 17, 2020, the City Council adopted a utility shut-off ban, effectively communicating to the local small business community that they should de -prioritize their utility bill and focus on more urgent payments. In response, many small businesses elected to defer their payments, and some have been delinquent on their bills; and WHEREAS, many small businesses have reached out to RPU to request that their utility deposit, which is often in the $2,50043,000 range, be applied to their current bill; and WHEREAS, Electric Rule 4 and Water Rule 4, both entitled "Deposits and Service Turn - On Charge," provide rules for deposit required to establish service, and when that deposit will be returned. In general, utilities use customer deposits as security for non-payment of bills to ensure that the cost of a customer's delinquent bills are not subsidized by other customers; and I