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Milwaukie plans utility billing code cleanup, outreach and new affordability options
Summary
Staff previewed code updates to utility billing, an account audit of 6,000–7,000 customers, updated impervious surface data for stormwater billing, and a menu of rebate/discount ideas tied to conservation to be analyzed for November.
City staff told the council they will present code updates and affordability options for utility bills after a series of work sessions and background audits.
Staff said the city’s utility billing system serves about 6,000–7,000 customers and that a recent account audit is checking classifications and property characteristics to ensure customers are billed accurately. The audit will be used to update billing entries and to import revised impervious surface-area data into the billing system for commercial and multifamily stormwater charges; single-family residential properties remain on a flat-equivalent unit currently defined as roughly 2,706 square feet of impervious surface.
Why it matters: accurate account classifications and impervious-area data determine fair stormwater charges for commercial and multifamily customers and prevent misbilling. Staff noted multifamily tenants commonly pay utilities through landlords, which creates equity tensions when bills are not tied to occupant behavior.
Affordability menu and outreach: staff said they will assemble a short list of candidate rebate, discount or exemption ideas — for example, a conservation reward for low water usage, a high-water surcharge, tree-planting credits, or expanded enrollment in existing utility-assistance programs — and perform cost-benefit analyses to inform November budget committee and QUAC discussions. Council members emphasized the city should first expand enrollment in existing assistance programs before deepening or tiering discounts further.
Administrative changes and schedule: staff plan code cleanup to remove prescriptive language about billing days and other outdated rules; those updates will appear at a Sept. 16 work session with a follow-up on Nov. 18 if needed, and could move to a vote if council feels ready. The city also scheduled a utility-billing 101 session for council on Sept. 9 highlighting front-line billing work and resources staff use to assist customers.
Community outreach: staff proposed working through community partners, the Milwaukie Community Center and school-district caseworkers to boost enrollment in assistance programs and to distribute simple printed collateral. Councilors suggested routing outreach to community tables, neighborhood picnics and partner newsletters.
Ending: staff asked councilors to bring detailed operational questions to the Sept. 9 session with the utility billing technician; they will return in November with cost-benefit analysis and proposed code language for council consideration.
