HomeMy Public PortalAbout14867 Revisions to Customer Assistance Program 2018ORDINANCE NO. 14867
AN ORDINANCE, repealing Ordinance No. 13826, as adopted May 8, 2014, and
enacting a new ordinance in lieu thereof establishing a Customer Assistance Program (formally
known as Low Income Assistance Program) providing for reduced Wastewater User Charges and
Stormwater Service Charges to Eligible Customers of The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District.
WHEREAS, The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District, a body corporate, a
municipal corporation and a political subdivision of the State of Missouri (herein called the
"District"), now owns and operates a revenue producing sewer and drainage system serving the
District and its inhabitants (the "System") and pursuant to Section 3.020(1) of the Plan of the
District adopted by the voters within the District for its government (the "Plan"), has the power
"to maintain, operate, reconstruct, and improve the same as a comprehensive sewer and drainage
system, and to make additions, betterments, and extensions thereto; to protect the public health
and welfare by preventing or abating the pollution of water; and . . . [has] all the rights,
privileges, and jurisdiction necessary or proper for carrying such powers into execution";
WHEREAS, the District is subject to the provisions of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act, as amended, 33 U.S.C.A. '' 1251 et seq., commonly referred to as the
Clean Water Act, (the "Federal Clean Water Act"), and the Missouri Clean Water Law, ''
644.006 et seq. R.S.Mo. 1986, as amended (the "Missouri Clean Water Law") the objectives of
which are to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's
waters;
WHEREAS, the Board is concerned with the impact of wastewater user Charges
and Storm water service charges on the low income customers of the District;
WHEREAS, the Federal Clean Water Act authorizes the District to establish a
system of user charges which imposes a lower charge on low-income residential customers and
the Board is desirous of establishing reduced user charges for qualified low income residential
customers as herein provided; and
WHEREAS, the Low Income Assistance Program will now be known as the
Customer Assistance Program.
Section One. Definitions. In addition to words and terms defined elsewhere in
this Ordinance, the following words and terms as used in this Ordinance shall have the following
meanings, unless some other meaning is plainly intended:
"Customer" means the Owner or Tenant of Single-Unit Residential Property or
Multi-Unit Residential Property up to six units, in whose name the bill for Wastewater User
Charges and Stormwater Service Charges for such Residential Property is issued by MSD.
"Eligible Customer Assistance Program customer" means an eligible customer as
defined in Section Three of this Ordinance.
"Customer Assistance Program Credit" means the credit for Wastewater User
Charges and Stormwater Service Charges provided by Section Two of this Ordinance.
"Single-Unit Residential Property" means Property used only for human
residency which consists of a single dwelling unit occupied as a primary residence by a single
person or single family.
"Multi-Unit Residential Property" means Property used only for human residency
which consists of no more than six (6) dwelling units with each one occupied as a primary
residence by a single person or single family.
"Stormwater Service Charges" means charges established by District Ordinance
for use of the District’s stormwater System.
"Wastewater User Charges" means the Wastewater User Charges established by
District Ordinance for use of its wastewater System.
Section Two. Customer Assistance Discount. A Customer Assistance Discount is
available to Eligible Customers of the District who are billed for Wastewater User Charges
and/or are billed for Stormwater Service Charges as provided in this Ordinance. The amount of
such Discount will be fifty percent (50%) of the Wastewater User Charges and/or Stormwater
Service Charges billed to such Customer for the applicable billing period. Such Customer
Assistance Discount shall take effect in the next designated billing period following the
determination by the District that such Customer is an Eligible Customer Assistance Program
Customer as provided in this Ordinance.
Section Three. Eligible Customer. An Eligible Customer must satisfy each of the
following criteria:
(1) The Customer of the District must own or occupy as a primary Residence a
Single-Unit Residential Property or a Multi-Unit Residential Property with no more than six
units in the District and receive a bill in his/her name or that of his/her spouse for Wastewater
User Charges and/or Stormwater Service Charges from the District for service to such
Residential Property;
(2) The Customer must have total annual income for the previous year of less than
a percentage of the most recent Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines by size of
household as established by District policy not to fall below a minimum guideline of 125%; and
150% for elderly and disabled eligible customers; and
(3) The Customer’s liquid assets and real estate must be less than a threshold
established by District policy not to fall below a minimum guideline of $3,000, excluding house
of residence and vehicles. Customers who are elderly or disabled are excluded from this
eligibility criterion.
Section Four. Application Procedure. Any Customer seeking inclusion in the
District’s Customer Assistance Program must complete and sign an application and return such
application along with all required supporting documentation to the District’s Director of
Finance. Such application shall be made on forms provided by the District’s Director of Finance.
A Customer approved by the District as an Eligible Customer shall receive a
Customer Assistance Discount on bills for Wastewater User Charges and/or Stormwater Service
Charges for service to Residential Property issued to such Customer. Such Customer Assistance
Discount shall take effect in the next designated billing period following the date of approval by
the District.
Eligible Customers shall continue to receive such Customer Assistance Discount
for a period of two (2) years from the date of approval. In order to maintain eligibility an Eligible
Customer must complete a new application and provide all required documentation therewith.
If upon application renewal to the Customer Assistance Program, the District’s
Director of Finance or their designate determines the Eligible Customer has not satisfied all the
criteria specified in Section 3 of this Ordinance or has failed to provide any required
documentation, such Customer shall be removed from the Customer Assistance Program.
In the event that MSD has reason to believe that a customer no longer qualifies
for CAP, MSD reserves the right to request additional documentation prior to the scheduled
renewal date.
Section Five. Appeals. Any Customer who considers the determination by the
District as to such Customer's failure to satisfy the criteria for an Eligible Customer pursuant to
the provisions of this Ordinance to be inaccurate or erroneous, may request a review thereof by
the District’s Director of Finance or their designate within thirty (30) days of receipt of written
notification to such Customer of such determination. The determination by the District’s Director
of Finance may be appealed by such person to the District’s Executive Director, by written
notice of appeal filed with the District’s Director of Finance within thirty (30) days of the
determination. The determination by the District’s Executive Director shall be considered a final
order of the District.
Section Six. Severability. The Board hereby declares that if any section, part,
sentence or clause of this Ordinance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remainder
of this Ordinance, the Board hereby declaring that it would have enacted the remainder of this
Ordinance without regard to that part hereof that may be held invalid.
Section Seven. Effective Date. The Ordinance shall become effective March 1,
2018.
This foregoing Ordinance was adopted on February 15, 2018.