Committee backs $10,575 utility-assistance donation to We Care

The Fort Loma Finance and Administrative Committee on Sept. 15 recommended the City Council approve a $10,575 allocation from water and sewer funds to We Care to assist residents with utility payments. Committee members heard staff note that We Care was the sole applicant to the utility-assistance pot and that the city has $10,575 available in that budget line. A committee member moved that the committee recommend Council approve donating that full amount to We Care; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Staff said We Care typically distributes assistance quickly and that demand often exhausts their prior-year allocation. Committee members described the organization as a “bottom-line service” for residents facing imminent shutoffs and noted the funding supplements the city’s low-income utility rate and referral options. The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final approval before any funds are disbursed from the water and sewer funds.