CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Adopt the resolution approving the establishment of a Temporary Utility Assistance Program in partnership with Loaves & Fishes Community Services and receive the staff report on the viability of additional assistance initiatives
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DEPARTMENT: Finance Department
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Mayer, Finance Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents and businesses have experienced financial hardship as a result of reduced business activity. The City has closely monitored local economic activity through state and local revenue data analysis. One data point highlighting the pandemic's impacts is a significantly higher number of delinquent electric and water utility accounts.
Beginning in March 2020, several executive orders were enacted by Mayor Steve Chirico to ease some of the pandemic's burdens on the community. On March 25, 2020, Mayor Chirico issued Executive Order 2020-06, which, in part, suspended service disconnections for non-payment of City of Naperville utility bills for both residential and commercial utility customers. Under normal circumstances, the City utilizes service disconnections as a part of its utility billing process. When accounts become delinquent, electric and/or water services are shut-off until payment is made on the account. The executive order also suspended the application of late fees on utility accounts in March, April, and May 2020.
Mayor Chirico terminated the utility disconnection section of Executive Order 2020-06 effective January 1, 2021; however, it is typical for the City to not conduct disconnections during winter months.
As the number of delinquent accounts and their associated balances rose in 2020, it became clear that some account holders would struggle to pay down account balances and avoid future service disconnection without assistance. To help these residents and businesses, the City Council approved $...
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