A. 
Findings. The City Council hereby finds:
1. 
Uninterrupted access to essential City utility services is critical to public health, safety, and welfare;
2. 
Establishing an eligibility framework and Program administration through this Chapter while adopting benefit levels by resolution—like all other utility rates and fees—preserves the City Council's budget discretion and rate-setting authority;
3. 
The City collaborates with community partners, including community action agencies, to assist low-income households in accessing utility assistance programs, and intends that the discounted rate program established by this chapter complements and does not replace such efforts; and
4. 
The City has entered into one or more agreements with community action agencies under which households at or below specified percentages of the Oregon median income receive percentage discounts on base water and sewer charges, and the City Council intends that this chapter provide authority for such tiered benefit structures to be implemented and adjusted by resolution.
B. 
Purpose. This chapter establishes the City Utility Subsidy Program (Program) for eligible residential customers who are (1) low-income seniors; or (2) low-income disabled. Nothing in this chapter prohibits or restricts the City from operating or funding other utility assistance programs consistent with applicable law.
C. 
Scope. The Program shall apply to City-billed residential utility charges for water service, sewer service billed by the City, and storm drainage fees appearing on the City utility bill. To ensure consistent treatment across City-billed utilities, storm drainage discounts described in TDMC Chapter 3.24 (Storm Drainage) shall remain applicable when low-income water and sewer discounts are in place and are aligned with this Program.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
As used in this chapter, except where the context indicates otherwise, the following terms (regardless of capitalization) and both their singular and plural and noun and verb forms, as applicable, mean:
A. 
"Designated income-eligible program"
means a federal, state, or local assistance program that City Council identifies by resolution as having income eligibility thresholds at or below the low-income standard in Section 3.28.020.E. Current participation in such designated income-eligible program may be accepted as proof that the household meets the low-income standard.
B. 
"Disabled" or "person with a disability"
means a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.
C. 
"Household"
means all persons occupying a dwelling unit as their primary residence, regardless of relation, whose income is considered together for purposes of determining eligibility.
D. 
"Income limits"
means the income limits published periodically by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or Oregon Housing and Community Services for Wasco County or the State of Oregon, and includes area median income, Oregon median income, or successor measures as adopted by Council resolution for purposes of this Program.
E. 
"Low-income"
means a household with income less than or equal to 60% of the applicable income limits, unless the City Council sets a different income threshold by resolution for a particular Program year or Program option.
F. 
"Primary residence"
means the dwelling unit located within the City's corporate limits where the applicant resides more than one-half of the year.
G. 
"Residential account"
means a City utility account billed for a dwelling unit intended for residential occupancy, whether individually metered or master-metered as provided in Section 3.28.040.C.
H. 
"Seniors"
means a household member who has attained the full retirement age for old-age benefits under the federal Social Security program, as that age is determined by the Social Security Administration for the member's year of birth and as it may be amended from time to time.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Program Description. The Program is established to provide monthly bill credits or other rate relief against eligible City utility charges for qualifying households. The Program may include one or more benefit options with distinct eligibility criteria, covered charges, and benefit amounts, all as established by Council resolution consistent with this chapter. Benefit options may include tiered discounts based on household income as a percentage of the applicable income limits and may be calculated as a percentage of base water and sewer charges.
B. 
Program Administration. The City Manager or designee shall administer the Program and may adopt administrative rules, forms, and procedures that are not inconsistent with this chapter. The City Council shall establish benefit amounts, income thresholds, documentation standards, and any caps or waitlists by resolution.
C. 
Support Agreements. The City Council may authorize the City Manager to enter agreements with community action agencies or other qualified partner organizations to support the Program and any such agreements may include (without limitation) such partner's commitment to:
1. 
Organize and publicize the City's Program;
2. 
Identify households that meet specified income thresholds and that are City water and/or sewer utility customers;
3. 
Provide monthly reports to the City that identify eligible and no-longer-eligible accounts by customer name, utility account number, service address, and discount level; and
4. 
Assist with intake, eligibility screening, and reporting.
D. 
Direct-Billed Components. Program rules may establish one or more benefit options that are limited to households that are billed directly by the City for water and/or sanitary sewer, that have the City utility account in the household's name, and that are responsible for those bills. Any such direct-billed component may be administered in whole or in part through an agreement approved by the City Council consistent with subsection C.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Eligible Households. A household is eligible for the Program if:
1. 
The household's primary residence is served by a City residential account;
2. 
The household is low-income as described in Section 3.28.020.E; and
3. 
At least one household member is:
a. 
Senior as defined in Section 3.28.020.H as of the application date; or
b. 
Disabled as defined in Section 3.28.020.B.
B. 
Applicant. The person applying for the Program shall be:
1. 
The person in whose name the City residential account is held for the service address; or
2. 
An adult household member authorized by the account holder; or
3. 
Another person permitted under the master-meter provisions in subsection C.
C. 
Master-Metered Accounts. Program rules may provide different benefit options for master-metered accounts than for directly billed accounts. If the residential account is held by a property owner for a master-metered multi-unit building, Program rules may allow enrollment when:
1. 
The owner attests, in a form approved by the City Manager, that the Program benefit shall be passed through to the eligible unit; and
2. 
The owner complies with documentation, notice, and any other safeguards adopted by the City Manager.
D. 
One Subsidy Per Address. Only one household per service address shall receive a Program benefit at any one time.
E. 
Presumed Eligibility. Program rules may treat current participation in one or more designated income-eligible programs as sufficient proof that the household meets the low-income standard in Section 3.28.020.E, so long as the designated income-eligible program's income thresholds remain at or below that standard.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Covered Charges. Covered charges include monthly base and volumetric charges for water, sewer, and storm drainage that appear on the City utility bill. The City Council may by resolution limit or vary covered charges among Program benefit options, including limiting certain subsidies to base charges only, adopting different benefit formulas for different utility services, or adopting different benefit levels for different income tiers.
B. 
Excluded Charges. Program benefits shall not apply to system development charges, penalties, delinquency fees, deposits, damage claims, or other non-recurring fees, unless specifically authorized by Council resolution.
C. 
Storm Drainage. Unless the City Council provides otherwise by resolution, any percentage or fixed-dollar benefit applied to water and sewer charges for a qualifying household under this Program shall apply in the same manner to storm drainage charges appearing on the same City utility bill. The City Council may also, by resolution, extend Program benefits to other City utility or utility-type fees that are billed to the same residential account.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Application. Applicants shall submit an application on a form provided by the City with required documentation. Program rules may permit third-party or partner agency intake and verification.
B. 
Income Documentation. The City Manager's rules shall specify acceptable proofs such as the most recent tax return, benefit letters, or current eligibility under designated income-eligible programs, or eligibility under other programs with comparable or more restrictive income thresholds.
C. 
Disability Documentation. The City shall require documentation sufficient to establish disability status consistent with Section 3.28.020.B. Medical diagnoses shall not be required beyond proof of status.
D. 
Effective Date. Approved Program benefits shall begin with the first full billing cycle after approval, or with the next regularly scheduled billing cycle after a complete application is received, as provided by Council resolution. Retroactive credits shall not be provided unless authorized by resolution.
E. 
Recertification. Recertification is required annually. The City Manager may authorize recertification periods of up to 24 months for households with a member aged 65 or older or with a verified permanent disability. Program rules may align recertification dates with those of one or more designated income-eligible programs to reduce administrative burden on applicants and the City.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Confidentiality. The City shall protect personal financial and medical-status information to the extent permitted by Oregon Public Records Law. This includes exemptions for information of a personal nature and optional nondisclosure of certain personal contact information upon request. The City shall also require any partner agencies providing intake, verification, or related services for the Program to maintain confidentiality of applicant and participant information consistent with Oregon Public Records Law and applicable City contracts.
B. 
Disclosure. Applicants acknowledge that some information may be disclosable if required by law. Before releasing any potentially exempt personal information, the City shall follow the statutory process.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Program Funding. The Program is subject to annual appropriation and any limitations contained in the City Council's rate and fee resolutions.
B. 
No Entitlement. Approval is not guaranteed and is contingent on available funding. Participation in the Program or any benefit option does not create a contractual right to continued benefits. The City Council may modify or discontinue the Program or any benefit option at any time by ordinance or resolution.
C. 
Caps and Waitlists. The City Council may set annual Program funding caps, per-household benefit caps, or enrollment caps. The City Council may also direct use of a waitlist by resolution.
D. 
Voluntary Contributions. The City may offer its utility customers the option, on their regular City utility bill or through other means approved by the City Manager, to make voluntary contributions to support the Program. Options may include rounding the amount due up to the nearest whole dollar or adding a fixed or customer-selected additional amount to the bill. The City shall account for voluntary contributions separately from utility rates and charges, and any such contributions shall be used solely to fund Program benefits and related administrative costs, subject to City Council appropriation through the budget process. Failure to make a voluntary contribution, or failure to pay any optional contribution amount, shall not constitute delinquency in payment of utility rates or charges and shall not be the basis for service termination, lien, or other collection action.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Reporting Changes. Participants shall promptly report material changes in household size, income, disability status, or primary residence that may affect eligibility.
B. 
Suspension and Recovery. The City may suspend or terminate Program benefits obtained, in whole or in part, through misrepresentation, failure to meet eligibility or recertification requirements, or failure to comply with Program rules. The City may correct any affected utility account and post the amount of any Program benefit to which the household was not entitled as a charge to that account. Corrected amounts shall be due and collectible as water, sewer, and/or storm drainage charges, including through service termination, imposition of interest and penalties, entry in the City lien docket, and foreclosure in the manner provided in TDMC Chapter 3.04 and other applicable provisions of The Dalles Municipal Code and Oregon law. Nothing in this Chapter is intended to or shall restrict the City's available civil, equitable, or criminal remedies to recover unlawfully obtained Program benefits.
C. 
Payment Plans. Program rules may condition initial or continued participation on compliance with reasonable payment arrangements for any outstanding balance on the account, consistent with City Council-adopted utility billing policies.
D. 
Asset Transfers. To discourage abuse, Program rules may disqualify applicants who have transferred substantial assets for less than fair market value during a look-back period specified by Council resolution when the transfer appears primarily intended to qualify the household for Program benefits.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
A. 
Appeal Request. An applicant or participant may request administrative review of a Program eligibility or credit determination by filing a written appeal with the City Manager within fifteen days of the decision.
B. 
Final Decision. The City Manager shall issue a written decision that constitutes the City's final administrative decision for the Program.
C. 
Hardship Flexibility. The City Council may, by resolution, adopt criteria for special hardship cases. Consistent with those criteria, the City Manager may approve limited exceptions to non-statutory eligibility or benefit rules when necessary to avoid severe and documentable hardship. The exceptions shall be documented and shall be applied consistently among similarly situated applicants or participants.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
The City Manager may adopt rules, procedures, and forms to implement this chapter. These may include, but are not limited to, application and renewal procedures, acceptable documentation, designated income-eligible program recognition, master-meter pass-through standards, benefit coordination with other City programs, payment-plan coordination, and data privacy safeguards consistent with Oregon law.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)
If any portion of this chapter is held invalid, the remaining portions shall remain in effect.
(Ord. 26-1423, 1/12/2026)