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City Council <br />Meeting Minutes October 20, 2020 <br />23. Receive a Staff presentation and hold discussion regarding the utility disconnections for <br />non-payment, and provide direction to Staff. <br />Melissa Neel, Assistant Director of Finance provided a brief update to Council <br />regarding utility disconnects. Council suspended utility service disconnections <br />during the COVID emergency in March. On July 7, 2020 council approved <br />extending the freeze on disconnects through the end of September 2020. Utility <br />disconnects remain on -hold. Staff recommends extending the freeze on utility <br />disconnects through January 2, 2021. Staff will increase community outreach <br />and expand customer communications as recommended. <br />The following steps and timeline are recommended by staff, but council <br />direction is requested: <br />• Resume Utility Disconnections — January 2021 <br />• Community Outreach Initiatives — Nov & Dec 2020 <br />• On Bill Message <br />• Social Media <br />• Utility Bill Insert <br />• Utility Lobby Signs <br />• Payment Plans (Available now — promote in Outreach) <br />• 30, 60, 90 day payment arrangements <br />• Apply deposit to outstanding balance <br />• Promote Utility Assistance through Community Action <br />• Additional Customer Communication <br />• Additional language in Delinquent Notices about payment options <br />• Robo Calls 2 days prior to disconnections (Initiate Jan 2021) <br />• Individual Communication for frequently disconnected customers (Nov — Dec <br />2020) <br />Ms. Neel provided the Utility Assistance Program Summary: <br />• Fiscal Year 2021 funding allocation to the Utility Assistance Program - <br />$120,000 <br />• Changes to Community Action funding criteria went into effect August 2020 <br />to accommodate financial impacts due to emergency situations <br />Ms. Neel provided a summary of fiscal year 2020 funding allocation totaling <br />136 accounts in the amount of $39,378.16. <br />Mayor Hughson expressed her concern regarding the low number of citizens <br />that have participated in this program. She is concerned that lack of <br />information is causing people who don't know about the program to spend <br />limited funds keeping the lights on and the water running when they could <br />City of San Marcos Page 21 <br />