Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance revises Title 11 - Water, Sewer and Electricity Code of the Columbus City Code, in order to ensure consistent definitions and terminology regarding "Low Income Customer Discount" and "Senior Citizen Customer Discount" within the Department of Public Utilities; Division of Sewerage and Drainage, Division of Water and Division of Power. Four (4) existing sections are modified and three (3) new sections are added to the appropriate chapters.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To amend Columbus City Code Sections 1105.01, 1105.21, 1147.19, 1163.01 and add new Sections 1105.22, 1147.01 and 1147.24 to ensure consistent definitions and terminology of the "Low Income Customer Discount" and "Senior Citizen Customer Discount" within the respective divisions of the Department of Public Utilities; the Division of Sewerage and Drainage, the Division of Water, and the Division of Power.
Body
WHEREAS, this ordinance amends existing sections within the Columbus City Code, pertinent to "Low Income Customer Discount" and "Eligible Senior Citizen Discount" for the Division of Sewerage and Drainage, the Division of Water, and the Division of Power, so that definitions and terms remain consistent throughout; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance adds three (3) new sections regarding "Low Income Customer Discount" and "Eligible Senior Citizen Discount" so that definitions and terms remain consistent within the Department of Public Utilities; and
WHEREAS, the current Columbus City Code contains multiple references to these discounts; now, therefore;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That effective February 1, 2016 Section 1105.01 be amended as follows:
1105.01 Definitions.
"Eligible Senior Customers" shall mean means any customer who applies for and receives certification by the Division of Water that he or she (a) receives is receiving service by means of a single meter registering to a single family residence; (b) is personally or whose spouse is personally responsible for payment of the bill as head of household; and (c) is sixty (60) years of age or older and (d) has a total income for a one (1) person household not greater than seven thousand eight hundred ($7,800.00) dollars or having a total income of less than one hundred fifty (150) percent (150%) of the federally established poverty level, whichever is greater; or a total income for a two (2) or more person household of one hundred fifty (150) percent of the federally established poverty level, as defined by the poverty threshold statistics as published annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Poverty Statistic Branch of the Bureau of Census.
SECTION 2: That effective February 1, 2016 Section 1105.21 be amended as follows:
1105.21 Low income discount for commodity charges.
(A) For purposes of this section, "low income residential customer" is defined as a direct residential customer of the city (whether inside the city or outside the city) having a
total income of less than one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the poverty level as published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census or who is eligible
for food stamp benefits, Ohio Medicaid, Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), Home Energy Assistance (HEAP), Ohio Works First, social security
disability, public housing benefits, or any other state or federal low income assistance program acceptable to the director.
SECTION 3: That effective February 1, 2016 Section 1147.19 be amended as follows:
1147.19 Low income discount for commodity charges.
(A) For purposes of this section, "low income residential customer" is defined as a direct residential customer of the city (whether inside the city or outside the city)
having a total income of less than one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the poverty level
as published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census or who is
eligible for food stamp benefits, Ohio Medicaid, Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), Home Energy Assistance (HEAP), Ohio Works First, social security
disability, public housing benefits, or any other state or federal low income assistance program acceptable to the Director.
SECTION 4: That effective February 1, 2016 Section 1163.01 be amended as follows:
1163.01 Definitions.
(l) "Eligible senior customers" means any customer who (a) is receiving, service by
means of a single meter to a single family residence; (b) is personally responsible for
payment of the bill as head of household; and (c) is sixty (60) years of age or older
having a total income of less than one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the poverty
level as published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census.
SECTION 5: That effective February 1, 2016 Title 11-Water, Sewer and Electricity Code within the Columbus City Code, Chapters 1105 and 1147 be amended by adding the following:
1105.22 Eligible Senior Customer Discount .
(A) Eligible Senior Customers may have monthly water service charges waived from
water bills. This discount will be available to Eligible Senior Customers upon successful
completion of application and approval by the Department of Public Utilities.
1147.01 Definitions.
(aq) "Eligible Senior Customers" means any customer who (a) is receiving service by
means of a single meter to a single family residence; (b) is personally responsible for
payment of the bill as head of household; and (c) is sixty (60) years of age or older
having a total income of less than one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the poverty level
as published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census.
1147.24 Eligible Senior Customer Discount.
(A) Eligible Senior Customers may have monthly sewer service billing charges
waived from sewer bills. This discount will be available to Eligible Senior Customers
upon successful completion of application and approval by the Department of Public
Utilities.
SECTION 6. That effective February 1, 2016, the prior existing Sections 1105.01, 1105.21, 1147.19 and 1163.01 are hereby repealed.
SECTION 7. That this Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.