Oxnard staff seeks $270,000 from utility late penalties to fund Project Assist in FY 2025–26

Oxnard City Public Works staff presented a proposal on April 8, 2025, asking the Public Works and Transportation Committee to recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution to fund Project Assist — the city's utility ratepayers assistance program — for fiscal year 2025'26 and authorize using $270,000 in late-penalty revenues to provide a $25 maximum monthly credit to eligible residential utility customers.

Project Assist provides monthly credits on solid-waste, water and wastewater bills for qualifying residential customers. Eric Zetz, Public Works staff, told the committee that staff recommends (1) adoption of a resolution authorizing Project Assist for fiscal year 2025'26 and (2) funding the program in 2025'26 with $270,000 that the city has collected in current- and prior-year late penalties from utility customers.

Why it matters: The proposal would continue the program's $25-per-month credit and potentially expand capacity above last year's level to serve more households. Staff noted Project Assist reached a point last year where demand exceeded available funding and a…