§ 28-273. Program eligibility; application; manner of discounting fees.

(a)

Program eligibility. To be eligible for discounted water utility or wastewater utility fees through the program, a person shall be a water utility or wastewater utility customer of the City, with the associated utility services bill in such customer's name, and shall have a total gross monthly household income adjusted for family size that is at or below 225 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines as published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

(b)

Application. To participate in the program, a water utility or wastewater utility customer of the City shall apply to the Director on a form to be provided by the Director, with such documents in support of the application as the Director may require in accordance with applicable law, to determine such customer's eligibility for the program and to fulfill the requirements of this division. The Director shall either approve or deny each application received based on the information contained in the application and in any supporting documents. The Director shall establish within the rules, regulations and guidelines adopted in accordance with Section 28-272 the period for which approvals are effective and may establish within such rules, regulations and guidelines a minimum waiting period for resubmitting an application following any denial of an application. The Director may revoke an approved application in the event that the Director determines that the customer no longer meets the minimum eligibility requirements set forth in this section.

(c)

Manner of discounting fees. The discounted fees provided pursuant to this division shall consist of credits applied against the approved customer's City water utility or wastewater utility service account. Such credits shall not be applied against utility account deposits or in connection with a bill dated more than one calendar year prior to the customer's application. The Director shall establish within the rules, regulations and guidelines adopted in accordance with Section 28-272 the method of calculating the amount of discount provided to an approved customer based on the level of the customer's need, and shall establish within such rules, regulations and guidelines the priority of assistance to each approved customer, based on the order in which the customer's application has been received, such that applications received first in time shall be given priority, and the customer's need, such that customers the farthest below 225 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines as published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services shall be given priority. The Director shall uniformly apply such calculations, which the Director may modify from time to time to maximize the funding available for the program. The amount of assistance provided pursuant to the program shall be limited to available funding.

(Code 2004, § 106-262; Ord. No. 2014-152-146, § 1, 9-8-2014)

(Code 2004, § 106-262; Ord. No. 2014-152-146, § 1, 9-8-2014)