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Los Banos council adopts residential water shutoff policy to comply with SB 998
Summary
The Los Banos City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 6977 to formalize a residential water discontinuation policy required by California Senate Bill 998, establishing notice, appeal and reconnection procedures and targeted customer protections.
The Los Banos City Council on Sept. 3 adopted Resolution 6977, approving a city policy for discontinuation of residential water service for nonpayment to comply with California Senate Bill 998.
City staff told the council the policy formalizes state-required consumer protections, including a minimum 60-day delinquency threshold before disconnection, advance written notice of at least seven business days with account details and appeal options, and bilingual materials in English and Spanish. The policy sets reconnection fees at $50 during regular hours and $150 after hours, and allows a waiver of late fees once every 12 months at staff discretion.
Staff reported the city has had no water shutoffs since 2020 and presented procedural safeguards the policy adds: verification options for certified health conditions, financial-hardship exceptions and structured dispute resolution escalating from staff to the finance director and, if necessary, to the city manager. Staff said the finance department will continue to monitor fiscal impacts and will report required shutoff statistics to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Council members asked for clarity on the late-fee waiver language after staff said waivers “may” be applied; a council member noted the policy text reads that a waiver may be granted once every 12 months and sought confirmation that the discretionary language reflects intended practice. The council approved the resolution following a motion and second; the motion carried with the customary “ayes have it.”
Implementation steps identified by staff include making forms and notices available in English and Spanish, proactive outreach to vulnerable customers, and maintaining required annual reporting to the state. The city manager and finance staff said they will pursue available state funding to support compliance and any mitigation measures.
The resolution directs staff to apply the policy immediately and continue outreach and monitoring. The council did not record individual roll-call votes for this item in the meeting record; the motion was adopted during the Sept. 3 meeting.
