SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL - Record No: CB 118479

• Record No: CB 118479
• Version: 1
• Council Bill No: CB 118479
• Type: Ordinance (Ord)
• Status: Passed
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: City Clerk
• On agenda: 8/17/2015
• Ordinance No: Ord 124836
• Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; and amending Section 21.49.042 of the Seattle Municipal code to align income eligibility guidelines for the utility-funded Emergency Low-Income Assistance program with other city rate assistance programs and allow year-round program operation.
• Sponsors: Kshama Sawant
• Supporting documents: 1. Summary and Fiscal Note, 2. Emergency Low-Income Assistance Presentation, 3. Signed Ord 124836

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
8/21/2015	1	City Clerk	attested by City Clerk
8/21/2015	1	Mayor	Signed
8/21/2015	1	Mayor	returned
8/18/2015	1	City Clerk	submitted for Mayor's signature
8/17/2015	1	City Council	passed	Pass
8/12/2015	1	Energy Committee	pass	Pass
8/10/2015	1	City Council	referred
8/5/2015	1	Council President's Office	sent for review
8/3/2015	1	City Clerk	sent for review
8/3/2015	1	Mayor	Mayor's leg transmitted to Council

CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; and amending Section 21.49.042 of the Seattle Municipal code to align income eligibility guidelines for the utility-funded Emergency Low-Income Assistance program with other city rate assistance programs and allow year-round program operation.
body
WHEREAS, in December 1985, the Emergency Low-Income Assistance program (ELIA) was established by Ordinance 112637 to provide emergency, low-income assistance to certain customers of the City Light Department; and
WHEREAS, the basic terms of the ELIA have not been adjusted or amended since their creation in 1985, and there is a need to expand the ELIA's income eligibility guidelines by increasing the income threshold to 70 percent of Washington state median income; and
WHEREAS, there is also a need to establish consistent income eligibility guidelines among the various City energy assistance programs; and
WHEREAS, the current ELIA income eligibility guidelines align with those of the federal energy assistance programs, which only allows coverage up to 125 percent of the federally-defined poverty threshold; and
WHEREAS, the proposed change of ELIA's income eligibility guidelines to 70 percent of state median income, which will allow coverage up to approximately 250 percent of the federally-defined poverty threshold, will remove the requirement for customers to first participate in the federal programs; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 21.49.042 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance
119747, is amended as follows:
21.49.042 Emergency low-income assistance program((.))
A. An emergency credit of ((fifty ())50(())) percent of a customer's delinquent bills up to a maximum credit of ((Two Hundred Dollars ())$200(())) may be granted by the Department to income eligible residential accounts, metere...