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Ventura Water Commission backs $35,000 boost to assistance program to reach more low-income households
Summary
The commission recommended city council approve a $35,000 increase to the Customer Assistance Program, raising the cap from $75,000 to $110,000 to expand enrollment by linking with Southern California Edison and Ventura Housing Authority; funding would come from late-payment penalties.
The Ventura Water Commission voted unanimously June 22 to recommend that City Council increase the Customer Assistance Program (CAP) annual authorization by $35,000, bringing the program ceiling to $110,000 from the current $75,000.
Utility Billing Manager Trey McGee told commissioners the CAP provides a 50% reduction on fixed meter charges (the fixed cost is currently $127.68 per year) and that the program is funded through late-payment penalties on water bills. McGee said the 2025 affordability assessment initially identified 971 single-family households that did not meet the affordability target; applying the CAP discount reduced that number to 597 households.
McGee described two recent outreach and enrollment steps: an October collaboration with Southern California Edison that yielded 60 auto-enrolled customers who were preverified as low-income, and work with the Ventura Housing Authority to include individually metered multifamily units, which could add approximately 355 households and an estimated $32,000 to the program cost. Staff proposed the $35,000 increase to cover those additions and asked the commission to forward the recommendation to council.
Commissioners asked about staff time and sustainability. Vice Chair Anelm noted the program’s administrative effort is currently absorbed by billing staff and management analysts; McGee said staff will measure full-time-equivalent (FTE) impacts as part of program evaluation and return with recommendations if additional resources are needed. Commissioners also asked whether legal review confirmed the funding approach; staff said Proposition 218 compliance was checked and that the program does not shift costs between rate classes.
Several commissioners raised questions about late-payment penalties, which McGee said are 10% of the past-due amount (applied to balances greater than $10). McGee said the utility collected $257,000 in water-only late-payment penalties in the most recent fiscal year and that customers on payment arrangements or with one annual penalty waiver avoid those fees. Commissioner Savage described the 10% monthly penalty as high and urged staff to track customer impacts while expanding assistance.
The commission approved the staff recommendation to receive the presentation and recommend City Council authorize the budget increase; the item is scheduled for City Council consideration on June 23, 2026.
