Advisory committee backs expanded customer assistance plan, agrees to reduce discount to reach more households

The WES Advisory Committee voted to recommend a set of changes to the utility’s income-qualified customer assistance program aimed at expanding eligibility while limiting the ratepayer-funded portion of the benefit.

Erin, WES staff, said the current income‑qualified bill discount (IQPD) covers about 650 households at a 50% wastewater discount and costs roughly $160,000 per year. She told the committee staff estimates that eligible households may range from about 6% to 12% of customers using available comparable program thresholds and that current enrollment is "less than 1% of our total residential households enrolled."

To reach hard‑to‑reach customers, staff proposed a pilot to apply WES’s discount on electricity bills (in collaboration with Portland General Electric) so renters and multifamily residents who do not receive individual water bills could be included. Staff also proposed amending inconsistent intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with city partners so the discount could pass through to partner-run assistance programs and extending eligibility to the surface water portion of bills.

Because the estimated eligible population would substantially increase program costs, staff proposed capping the ratepayer-funded portion of the program at 0.5% of total budgeted rate revenues and using non‑rate revenues (late fees, estimated about $150,000) to supplement funding. To stretch available funding to more households, staff proposed reducing the discount from 50% to 40%, which staff said would move the utility’s low‑income residential indicator (LQRI) from a mid‑impact rating toward a low‑impact rating.

Committee members discussed outreach, enrollment assumptions and the administrative challenges of serving renters and multifamily customers. Erin said outreach is planned (bulk mailing and community workshops), that some city partners already have enrolled households that would become eligible immediately if IGAs are amended (Milwaukee has about 150 households), and that phase‑in of any discount change for city partners would allow time for customer notification.

The advisory committee moved three separate recommendations on the program and recorded roll call votes; each motion passed. The motions were advisory recommendations to the board and to staff to pursue the pilot, IGA amendments and the funding/discount adjustments. Staff said any final policy changes and IGA amendments would require board action.

The committee then approved the March meeting minutes and moved to other business before adjourning.