[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6347015,"mediaKeyId","2246160-5001c2a3405eb3dec1685c40946479ea","parentId",2246160,"title","Tumwater staff identify nearly 300 additional households that may qualify for Lifeline utility discount","audioSeconds",210,"startMs",3326000,"endMs",3536000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246160-5001c2a3405eb3dec1685c40946479ea&start=3326&end=3536","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246160-5001c2a3405eb3dec1685c40946479ea/thumbnail_3326000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6347015/Tumwater/Thurston-County/Washington/Tumwater-staff-identify-nearly-300-additional-households-that-may-qualify-for-Lifeline-utility-discount","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347015-e490de65861796d160da8f4ead5c22ab/orig.mp4?Expires=1775045449&Signature=CArftHKm~9xB~QSqLLuw0XdubwJa2hnrezjWTZaoobqRIQVSuyD-ZLS7fbJ-g-Li-caVNzZ63pxGhEbGkd47LtKOJZBWRtgKdtABqNh~pJt9N-kZjHNow76ojZRrSsckC95LWCrNdJh661zvbhFCiSPfrA4FKbW9xVvmRar8~t-8QfSitOcqT8MSVmhZ8qC600eoF-O--PdsBgyPCCEPFtUeveiQ9mJ3MiWFHnakZizpE20OjwyVxC1B12169PdW0q5O9dkac4tA8K1RR7OtxSJeL~YPSt9cYiNSqtBn0pMu8ixYgSRjowff2RNS-K7p5pYDvea87vEBeSb25jtDlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tumwater, WA - City Government","date","2025-02-06T20:54:30Z","article","Tumwater staff told the Public Works Committee on Feb. 6, 2025, that a data match with Thurston County property‑tax records identified about 294 households that may qualify for the city’s Lifeline utility discount for low‑income seniors and disabled residents, and that enrolling those households could cost roughly $252,000 per year in foregone utility revenue.

Troy (city utilities staff) said staff compared county records for a similar county property‑tax exemption program and identified 294 additional households the city could contact about the Lifeline program. Troy told the committee the estimate uses an average monthly utility bill of $143; multiplying that average by the identified households yields roughly $252,000 annually (about $504,000 across a two‑year biennium).

Troy said staff previously misstated the program count during the budget process: he recalled reporting “10” but said that was incorrect and that city records showed 90 participants. A council member later stated, in the meeting, that the city currently had about 190 people in the Lifeline program; staff and council agreed outreach and verification steps are needed to confirm final enrollment if the city mails invitations to potentially eligible households.

The committee heard that staff has drafted a letter and plans a targeted outreach campaign — mail and media — to notify the identified households and invite them to apply. Troy said the outreach can begin immediately and that the speed of enrollment will depend on how quickly households respond; staff expect some immediate replies and a longer trickle of additional applications over the following weeks to months.

Council and staff discussed fiscal consequences: expanding the Lifeline program will reduce utility revenue that must be made up elsewhere in the rates or by other means. Dan (staff member) and Troy said the city will use the new rate model presented earlier to evaluate how expanded Lifeline enrollment and other policy choices affect future rate needs. Troy said the city intends to include regular updates to the committee and council on enrollment as outreach proceeds.

Committee members also raised related billing topics. Staff noted the city pays roughly $250,000 a year in credit‑card fees for utility payments and is evaluating (a) stronger messaging encouraging low‑cost payment methods such as eCheck and (b) a possible convenience‑fee pass‑through to customers who choose to pay by card. Staff emphasized that offering no‑fee or low‑fee payment channels and targeted Lifeline outreach are complementary equity measures.

Troy said the program data set is limited to property owners who pay property tax in Thurston County (the county data match therefore primarily identifies homeowners who qualify for the county program). Staff noted the method may still capture some mobile‑home owners depending on tax status and that additional outreach strategies will be needed to reach eligible renters or households that do not appear in county property records.

Next steps reported to the committee: staff will mail notices to the 294 identified households, begin processing applications on receipt, and return to the committee with enrollment updates within the coming months. City staff also plan to use the rate model to quantify how expanded Lifeline participation would affect revenue requirements and rate design going forward.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Public Works Committee February 6 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff found roughly 294 additional Thurston County households that may qualify for Tumwater’s Lifeline discount for low‑income seniors and disabled residents; expanding enrollment could cost about $252,000 annually and staff will begin outreach to eligible households.","taxTitle","Tumwater, Thurston County, Washington","taxId",70653,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347020,"Tumwater rate study: large capital program could require a one‑time spike in 2027",2540,66000,2606000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246160-5001c2a3405eb3dec1685c40946479ea&start=66&end=2606","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246160-5001c2a3405eb3dec1685c40946479ea/thumbnail_66000.jpg","/articles/6347020/Tumwater/Thurston-County/Washington/Tumwater-rate-study-large-capital-program-could-require-a-onetime-spike-in-2027","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347020-b21d78f7f0821a8d2783f6931c880482/orig.mp4?Expires=1775045449&Signature=MHrP70ndgfBjhphyaMfKWfTLYaO-~x1jLnBJ0fJyqxEGqMA71yUC77UGk5Fab2aGl9pij1ruGqvFsJVz3i~HHr~oEvfKGLUgep94c5IMMc7eOGWuRfp7Vkgm4HbcO9mgu0yiA8SGlhB~Ij~mr8ThtGbED2hkjYknod3M2ZBQCrlPskAEHbNOp1SR2Z5IhqZPqrE-ijQudINOPE-yL2OffvGHVkZPYi-PLezfSBhiwAqk~WDvJw6lnLUE8Ud3UrGDJp6xcmTxHNh5xMguHVDiXgr~cTPAUnZuFb2AdQKbHc~tLV9tfDSUVD6CXLJmNfTHEb~~q7ylqrgQohW79WPUNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tumwater’s Public Works Committee heard a presentation Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, from Corolla Engineers showing that funding nearly $80 million in planned water system capital projects through 2035 could require a substantial single‑year rate increase under some scenarios — a 31.2% jump in 2027 in one modeled case — unless the city spreads costs using debt or other smoothing strategies.

The study, presented by Isla Barnes of Corolla Engineers and introduced by Patrick Soderberg, Tumwater’s water and resource and sustainability program manager, lays out the model assumptions, revenue requirements, affordability benchmarks and an impact‑fee update and provides a scenario tool staff can use in annual financial planning.

Why it matters: Tumwater faces large, growth‑driven projects (the presentation lists a Southeast reservoir and system extension near $25 million among about $80 million in identified capital over an 11‑year planning horizon). The study’s scenarios show that timing and method of funding those projects — pay‑as‑you‑go from rate revenue, issuing debt, or a mix — materially change near‑term rate needs and reserve balances and will affect affordability for lower‑income households.

Barnes told the committee the model follows American Water Works Association guidance (the AWWA M1 manual) and that the consultants handed the working model over to city staff so it can be used to run alternative scenarios. Barnes said the analysis assumes a 20% operating reserve target (measured as 20% of O&M expenses plus annual debt service), 1% annual growth in customers, 3.5% escalation of O&M costs (base FY2025), 3% escalation of capital project costs, a 1.25 debt service coverage ratio and a one‑year debt service reserve if the model assumes debt issuance.

The presentation lists major capital items used in the model, including water rights acquisition, a brewery well field, a water‑main replacement and extension program and a Well 15 improvement. The largest single line item in the CFP shown was a Southeast Reservoir and system extension (about $25 million). Total capital in the consultant’s scenario is “a little under $80,000,000” from 2024 through 2035.

One modeled funding scenario — which assumes previously approved rate increases for 2025–26 but no additional increases until 2027 — produced a 31.2% single‑year increase in 2027 followed by a 5% increase annually thereafter. Barnes said that spike reflects an assumed roughly $10 million capital spend in 2027 and the practice of using cash on hand for near‑term mitigation until reserves are no longer sufficient. The model also shows options to issue debt beginning in 2028 to smooth rate impacts; the gray bars in the consultant charts reflect debt service in later years.

On impact fees, Barnes said the consultants used an incremental‑cost methodology (appropriate where growth requires new capacity) and calculated a water impact fee of $5,749 per equivalent residential unit (ERU). She noted Tumwater’s current fee of $5,511 is “right in line” with the consultant calculation and was recently adjusted.

The study examined affordability using multiple benchmarks rather than a single median‑income test. Metrics shown included median household income, a county ALICE (asset‑limited, income‑constrained, employed) measure, MIT living‑wage figures for the Olympia‑Lacey‑Tumwater area, and federal poverty levels (the presentation used a four‑person household for federal poverty comparisons). For the city’s approved 2025 rates the consultant reported: water‑only bills were about 0.7% of the ALICE benchmark, combined water/sewer/stormwater about 2.1% of ALICE, and the total utility bill about 4.8% of the federal poverty threshold for a four‑person household. Barnes also translated bills to hours at Tumwater’s $16.66 minimum wage: about 2.4 hours of work for a water‑only bill and roughly 7.7 hours for the total utility bill.

Barnes and committee members emphasized the model is a decision tool rather than a firm prediction; Dan (staff member) and other staff noted the model has been updated multiple times as budgets and actual capital decisions have changed and that staff will continue to revise inputs annually. Staff recommended keeping the financial plan updated annually and reviewing the impact‑fee calculation every three to five years (or sooner if major changes occur).

Committee members asked that future presentations include a clearer, “bottom‑line up front” slide for the public and that staff present the model outputs to the full council when appropriate during the capital‑budget cycle.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved the minutes from the Jan. 9, 2025, Public Works Committee meeting. The motion, a second and an affirmative voice vote were recorded; mover/second and the numerical tally were not specified on the record.

Ending: Staff said the rate model and consultant report will be retained as a working tool for future budget, rate and capital facility plan decisions and that choices about debt issuance, rate structure adjustments (for example, separating small/large commercial classes) and timing of projects will be evaluated using the model.

","Corolla Engineers presented a cost‑of‑service water rate model to Tumwater’s Public Works Committee on Feb. 6 that shows roughly $80 million in capital needs through 2035, a potential 31.2% single‑year rate increase in 2027 under one scenario, and an impact fee calculation close to the city’s current charge.","actionData","errors"]

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Tumwater staff identify nearly 300 additional households that may qualify for Lifeline utility discount

Tumwater rate study: large capital program could require a one‑time spike in 2027