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Resolution No. 7677t 11 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 RESOLUTION NO. 7677 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON APPROVING THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND FINDING THAT SUCH PROGRAMS AND FUND ALLOCATION FOR SUCH PROGRAMS ARE UNNECESSARY WHEREAS, AB 1890, which was signed into law on September 23, 1996, included a state -mandated Public Benefits Charge to be collected from all of the City of Vernon's customers for the purpose of funding Public Benefits Programs in any of the following four areas:.Energy Efficiency, Research, Development and Demonstration, Low -Income Assistance and Renewable Resource Technologies; and WHEREAS, the City of Vernon Utilities Department has assessed customers' needs and interests and determined that programs in the area of Energy Efficiency would be of benefit to electric customers; and WHEREAS, on March 21, 2000, the City Council of the City of Vernon adopted Resolution No. 7511 adopting a Public Benefits Program in the area of Energy Efficiency consisting of the following five projects: Energy Audits, Energy Education and Demonstration Workshops, Equipment Loans, Customer Incentive and Customer Directed; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Vernon authorized the implementation of the Energy Audits and the Energy Education and Demonstration Workshops portions of the Program pursuant to Resolution No. 7511 and the Customer Incentive and Customer Directed portions of the Program pursuant to Resolution No. 7632 on September 19, 2000; and WHEREAS, SB 1939 was signed into law on September 30, 2000 and requires the City of Vernon to perform a needs assessment concerning low-income assistance, to review the needs assessment at a public 1 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 hearing and to determine the amount of funds to be allocated for low- income assistance programs; and WHEREAS, SB 1939 requires the City Council to consider (1) the number and income level of low-income customers that reside in the service area of the City of Vernon; (2) the availability of home weatherization services to low-income customers; (3) the availability of in -home energy efficiency education in the City of Vernon's service area; and (4) other factors that may indicate a need for low-income services; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Vernon held a duly noticed public hearing on December 19, 2000, at which time all interested persons were given an opportunity to be heard; and WHEREAS, the City Council has heard and considered all evidence presented, both written and oral, respecting Vernon's adoption of the Needs Assessment For Low -Income Assistance Programs prepared by the Utilities Department concerning the need for programs providing services for low-income electricity customers as outlined in Section 385(a)(4) of the California Public Utilities Code. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY IOF VERNON AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1: The City Council of the City of Vernon hereby finds and determines that the recitals contained hereinabove are true and correct. SECTION 2: The City Council of the City of Vernon finds that all persons have had the opportunity to be heard or*to file written comments to the proposed Needs Assessment for Low -Income Assistance Programs, and after due consideration of the evidence submitted at the public hearing determines that there are compelling reasons to justify - 2 - a 1 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 the adoption of the Needs Assessment for Low -Income Assistance Programs', and to make'determinations that there is no need for low-income assistance programs in the City of Vernon and that no funds are to be allocated for such programs. SECTION 3: The City Council finds and determines that the City of Vernon has taken all of the following actions, and is in conformance with all applicable statutory requirements of SB 1939: A. The City of Vernon has adopted and continues to implement its Public Benefits Programs in the area of Energy Efficiency consistent with the requirements of AB 1890. B. The City of Vernon has very few residential customers. C. The City of Vernon has determined that the federal poverty level for family of four is $17,029.00 and that there are no known households within the City of Vernon earning below the federal poverty level. D. The City of Vernon's residential rates are lower than the discounted residential rates of other area utilities. SECTION 4: The City Council of the City of Vernon hereby adopts the Needs Assessment for Low -Income Assistance Programs, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and made a part hereof by reference, consistent with the requirements identified in SB 1939. SECTION 5: The City Clerk of the City of Vernon shall certify to the passage of this resolution, and thereupon and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect. APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 19th day of December, 2000. LEONIS C. MALB G, May r ATTEST: ^ / v BRUCE V. MALKENHORST, City Clerk - 3 - 1 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 STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ss I, BRUCE V. MALKENHORST, City Clerk of the City of Vernon, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution, being Resolution No. 7677, was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Vernon at a regular meeting of the City Council duly held on Tuesday, December 19, 2000, and thereafter was duly signed by the Mayor of the City of Vernon. (SEAL) BRUCE V. MALKENHORST, City Clerk - 4 - Needs assessment for low-income assistance programs Background Earlier this year, the Vernon City Council approved the development and implementation of Public Benefits Programs as mandated by Assembly Bill 1890 (AB 1890). Among its provisions, AB 1890 requires local publicly owned utilities to collect a Public Benefits Charge from electric customers. AB 1890 requires that this collected money fund Public Benefits Programs in any of four areas: research and development, energy efficiency, low-income assistance, and renewable technologies. Vernon Utilities Department staff surveyed its electric utility customers in 1998 to assess their needs and interests in the Public Benefits Programs. The majority of respondents preferred energy efficiency programs, which Council has since adopted. The Utilities Department did not recommend any low-income assistance programs, as it did not see any need for such programs. On September 30, 2000, Governor Gray Davis signed into law Senate Bill 1939 (SB 1939). SB 1939 requires each local publicly owned electric utility that does not have low-income assistance programs to perform a needs assessment for such programs. The utility's governing body is required to review the needs assessment at a public hearing and to determine the amount of funds to be allocated for low-income assistance programs. SB 1939 states in part: "In making its decision on the need for the programs, the governing body shall consider all of the following: (1) The number and income level of low-income customers that reside in the service area of the utility. (2) The availability of home weatherization services to low-income customers pursuant to Section 2790. (3) The availability of in -home energy efficiency education in the utility's service area. (4) Other factors that may indicate a need for low-income services". Needs assessment • The residential customers in Vernon are unique in their relationship to the City. • Most residential units are owned by the City of Vernon • The federal poverty level for a family of four is $17,029. • There are no known households within the City of Vernon earning below the federal poverty level. • Vernon's residential rates are lower the discounted residential rates of other area utilities. Recommendation Based on the above, the Utilities Department recommends. that City Council determine that there is no need for low-income assistance programs in the City of Vernon and that the Council further determine that no funds are to be allocated for such programs. CITY COUNCIL LEONIS C. MALBURG Mayor THOMAS A. YBARRA Mayor Pro —Tern WM. 'BILL" DAVIS Councilman H. "LARRY" GONZALES Councilman W. MICHAEL MCCORMICK Councilman BRUCE V. MALKENHORST City Administrator / City Clerk FAX (323) 581-7924 City Council City of Vernon Honorable Members: CITY HALL 4305 SANTA FE AVENUE, VERNON, CALIFORNIA 90058 TELEPHONE (323) 583-8811 December 14, 2000 EDUARDO OLIVO City Attorney FAX: (562) 927-8722 KEVIN WILSON Director of Community Services & Water FAX: (323) 588-2761 KENNETH J. DeDARIO Director of Municipal Utilities FAX: (323) 583-1983 DAVE TELFORD Fire Chief FAX: (323) 581-1385 BRUCE W. OLSON Police Chief FAX: (323) 583-5236 Earlier this year, the Vernon City Council approved the development and implementation of Public Benefits Programs as mandated by Assembly Bill 1890 (AB 1890). If you will recall this requires local publicly owned utilities to collect a Public Benefits Charge from electric customers to be used in four areas, research and development, energy efficiency, low-income assistance, and renewable technologies. A survey conducted by the Utilities Department with results reflecting that City electric utility customers preferred energy efficiency programs as opposed to low-income assistance. On September 30, 2000, Governor Gray Davis signed into law Senate Bill 1939 (SB 1939) which requires that each publicly owned electric utility that does not have low-income assistance programs perform a "needs assessment" to determine if there is a need for funds to be allocated for low-income assistance programs. The City posted notice of the required public hearing and solicited public comment on the issue. Needs Assessment December 13, 2000 Page 2 Based on the needs assessment for low-income assistance programs prepared by the Utilities Department it is hereby recommended that City Council determine that there is no need for low-income assistance programs and that there is no need to allocate funds for such programs. Very truly yours, ruce V. Mai ke orst 6 City Administrator/City Clerk BVM/ng December 13, 2000 TO: Bruce V. Malkenhorst, City Administrator FROM: Kenneth J. DeDario, Director of Utilities SUBJECT: Low-income Assistance Needs Assessment On September 30, 2000, Governor Gray Davis signed into law Senate Bill 1939 (SB 1939). SB 1939 requires each local publicly owned electric utility that does not have low-income assistance programs to perform a needs assessment for such programs. The utility's governing body is required to review the needs assessment at a public hearing and to determine the amount of funds to be allocated for low-income assistance programs. The Utilities Department performed the attached needs assessment finding that there is no need for such programs in the City of Vernon. The City has posted notice of the required public hearing and solicited public comment in this same notice. As of this date, no comment has been received from the public. Based on its uncontradicted finding, the Utilities Department recommends that City Council determine that there is no need for low-income assistance programs in the City of Vernon and that the Council further determine that no funds are to be allocated for such programs. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me. Thank you. IMPIXIM Attachments: Needs Assessment Public Notice EXHIBIT VA& I' Needs assessment for low-income assistance programs Background Earlier this year, the Vernon City Council approved the development and implementation of Public Benefits Programs as mandated by Assembly Bill 1890 (AB 1890). Among its provisions, AB 1890 requires local publicly owned utilities to collect a Public Benefits Charge from electric customers. AB 1890 requires that this collected money fund Public Benefits Programs in any of four areas: research and development, energy efficiency, low-income assistance, and renewable technologies. Vernon Utilities Department staff surveyed its electric utility customers in 1998 to assess their needs and interests in the Public Benefits Programs. The majority of respondents preferred energy efficiency programs, which Council has since adopted. The Utilities Department did not recommend any low-income assistance programs, as it did not see any need for such programs. On September 30, 2000, Governor Gray Davis signed into law Senate Bill 1939 (SB 1939). SB 1939 requires each local publicly owned electric utility that does not have low-income assistance programs to perform a needs assessment for such programs. The utility's governing body is required to review the needs assessment at a public hearing and to determine the amount of funds to be allocated for low-income assistance programs. SB 1939 states in part: "In making its decision on the need for the programs, the governing body shall consider all of the following: (1) The number and income level of low-income customers that reside in the service area of the utility. (2) The availability of home weatherization services to low-income customers pursuant to Section 2790. (3) The availability of in -home energy efficiency education in the utility's service area. (4) Other factors that may indicate a need for low-income services". Needs assessment • , The residential customers in Vernon are unique in their relationship to the City. • Most residential units are owned by the City of Vernon • The federal poverty level for a family of four is $17,029. • There are no known households within the City of Vernon earning below the federal poverty, level. • Vernon's residential rates are lower the discounted residential rates of other area utilities. Recommendation Based on the above, the Utilities Department recommends that City Council determine that there is no need for low-income assistance programs in the City of Vernon and that the Council further determine that no funds are to be allocated for such programs. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS d i. City of Vernon NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 4305 Santa Fe Avenue Vernon, California 90058 (323) 583-8811 The City of Vernon will conduct a Public Hearing which you may attend. Place: Vernon City Hall City Council Chambers 4305 Santa Fe Avenue Vernon, CA 90058 Time: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 at 5:00 p.m. The purpose of the hearing is to obtain testimony from affected and/or interested persons regarding this request. The public is also invited to submit written comments regarding the request prior to the Hearing. Request: Adopt the needs assessment prepared by the Utilities Department concerning the need for programs providing services for low income electricity customers as outlined in Section 385, subdivision (a) paragraph (4) of the California Public Utilities Code. Review of theFile: The needs assessment is available in the office of the Utilities Department, Vernon City Hall, 4305 Santa Fe Avenue, between the hours of 7:15 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., Monday through Thursday. —v t BRUCE V. M . KENHORST City Administrator/City Clerk z OFFICE OF THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR/CITY CLERK INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM Date: January 25, 2001 To: Kenneth DeDario Director of Utilities From: Gloria J. Orosco, Chief Deputy City Clerk Re: Resolution No. 7677 Enclosed is a copy of the above -referenced resoluton, which was approved by City Council on December 19, 2000. Approved the needs assessment for low-income assistance programs and finding that such programs and fund allocation for a such programs are unnecessary. Thank you. GJO/mt Attachment