HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2022.06.23 - 37451BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
June 23, 2022
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #22-253
Sponsored By: Yolanda Smith Charles, Charles Cavell, Angela Powell
Board of Commissioners - Resolution Appropriating American Rescue Plan Act — Local Fiscal Recovery
Funds for the «'ater Affordability Coalition
Chairperson and Members of the Board:
WHEREAS COVID-19 has disproportionately Burt families throughout Oakland County; and
WHEREAS due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related water shut-off moratoriums, arrearages for past -due
water bills have increased resulting in over 12,000 households in Oakland County being at risk of foreclosure
due to property tax certification of water arrearages: and
WHEREAS existing local and federal programs provide short-term and temporary economic relief for water
arrearages, including the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) that provides the Water Residential Assistance
Program (WRAP) and the federal Low -Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) but
enrollment in these existing programs is low; and
WHEREAS the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, through a grant from the State of Michigan.
convened a Water Affordability Coalition, researched, and developed a water affordability plan that includes,
among other things, increasing enrollment in exiting water assistance programs; and
WHEREAS the grant fielding, -,vhielr was intended to research and develop an affordability plan, has been
exhausted and additional funding is needed to implement the water affordability plan, specifically, plans to
increase enrollment in existing assistance programs to help pay down water arrearages and protect homes from
foreclosure; and
WHEREAS investments in water affordability and access have proven to lower the economic burden home by
the system as a whole; and
WHEREAS the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) - Local Fiscal Recovery Funds are available to be utilized
for this purpose,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners authorizes the
appropriation of $2.10,000 in American Rescue Plan Act — Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to support the
continuation of the Water Affordability Coalition and the fluids will be administered by the Water Resources
Commissioner (WRC). The proposed fiords will be utilized for the Water Affordability Coalition with the
inclusion of the following:
+ Finalize Affordability Plan Research and Documentation — incorporate GAP analysis and Peer Review;
and
• Customer Assistance Plans (OAPs) — improve existing plans and evaluate supplemental plans; and
• Communication and Outreach — increase enrollment, develop partnerships, and collaborate for diverse
marketing program: and
• People First Policies and Partnerships — review billing and customer service policies with
recommendations, evaluate partnerships for payment plans and improve bill collection to minimize
termination of water service.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the WRC shall pioovide quarterly reports to the Economic Development
and Infrastructure Committee as communications.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that approval of the appropriation of ARPA — Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
shall not obligate a commitment of Oakland County's General Fund and that the Project shall meet all federal,
state, and local legal requirements, Oakland County policies and procedures, and Department of Treasury
guidelines for the eligible expenditure of ARPA — Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the FY 2022 budget shall be amended as reflected in the attached
Schedule A — Budget Arnenchuent.
Chairperson, the following Commissioners are sponsoring the foregoing Resolution: Yolanda Smith Charles,
Charles Cavell, Angela Powell.
6z", d Date: June 23,2022
David Woodward. Commissioner
h4 a �
Date: June 24, 2022
Hilarie Chambers, Deputy County Executive 11
I
if
Date: June 27, 2022
Lisa Brown, County Clerk I Register of Deeds
COMMITTEE TRACKING
2022-06-23 Full Board - Request to suspend the Board Rules for inmrediate consideration under New Business
VOTE TRACKING
Motioned by Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles seconded by Commissioner Angela Powell to adopt the
attached Resolution: Appropriating American Rescue Plan Act — Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for the Water
Affordabilitv Coalition.
Yes: David Woodward, Michael Gingell. Kristen Nelson, Gwen Markham, Angela Powell, Chuck Moss,
Marcia Gershenson, William Miller III. Yolanda Smith Charles, Charles Cavell, Penny Luebs, Janet Jackson.
Gary McGillivray, Robert Hoffinan (14 )
No: Karen Joliat, Eileen Kowall, Christine Long. Philip Weipert, Thomas Kuhn, Adarn Kochenderfer (6)
Abstain: None (0)
Absent: (0)
Passed
ATTACHMENTS
1, Copy of WRC MR BOC Appropriation of ,American Rescue Plan Act - Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for
the Water Affordability Coalition - Schedule A.V2.4.36p
?. 202%05-19 ARPA Project Request WRC Supporting Data V2.240000.6.23 22
STATE OF MIC'HIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Cleric of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on June 23, 2022, with
the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Circuit Court at Pontiac,
Michigan on Thursday. June 23, 2022,
t
Lisa Brown, Oakland Comm, Clerk%Regisrer afDeeds
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WRC Water Affordability Project ARPA Request Supporting Data
The following table produces an estimate of the remaining work that needs to be done using WRC labor
on the Water Affordability Project. The hourly rate is based on the average rate of WRC staff who are
working on this project and includes all benefits and overhead.
The projected hours for June 2022 through December 2022 are 240 hours per month which equals 1,680
hours. This is based on 75% of the project's current spend on WRC labor. Projected hours for January
2023 through December 2023 are 120 per month equaling 1,440 hours. For 2023 the spend rate was
reduced by 50%.
The estimated grand total hours are 2,400 at $100 per hour resulting in the $240,000 request.
WRC Water Affordability Plan
Development and Implementati-)n Estimate (6/1/2022-12/31/2023)
Description
Hours Rate Total ($) Notes
Finalize Affordability Plan
Research and
420 $100 $42,000 1) Finalize Main Document and 12 Appendices
Documentation
2) Complete Gap Analysis and Peer Review
1) Modifications and continuous improvement of existing
plans. a) Bill Assistance: Implement income -based assistance
modifications for WRAP and refine estimates for funding
requirements. Improve enrollment (see Communication and
Outreach). b) LIWHP and WRAP Arrearage Assistance:
Customer Assistance Plans
Improve enrollment (see Communications and Outreach). c)
564 $100 $56,400
(CAPS)
WRAP Conservation and Household Plumbing Repair:
Develop and coordinate program improvements with GLWA.
Improve enrollment (see Communications and Outreach).
2) Evaluate and consider other supplemental CAP and
funding options. a) Hardship Assistance Program, b) flexible
payment plans and c) funding thru private donations.
1) Identify and develop partnerships to promote CAPS and
increase enrollment
2) Develop collaborative Outreach and Education Plan with
Communication and
GLWA and CAP partners to promote CAPS and increase
708 $100 $70,800
Outreach
enrollment. Includes branding, marketing, social media,
website improvements, educational flyers, public
engagement, and other methods, as identified thru
collaboration.
1) Finalize review of all WRC billing and customer service
policies and implement recommended changes.
People First Policies and
708 $100 $70,800 ?) Evaluate and consider third party partners for
Partnerships
implementing payment plan programs to improve bill
collection, minimize termination of water service and
minimize tax certification.
Total 2400 $100 $240,000
The next table shows the decline in enrollment in the Great Lakes Water Authority's Water Residential
Assistance Program (WRAP) from 2017-2021. This program provides water bill assistance and arrearage
assistance to income -eligible water customers at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. There is a
correlation between enrollment and the pandemic and/or the water shut-off moratorium.
This data also shows the estimated number of eligible households in WRC's two focus communities and
county -wide.
GLWA Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) - Household Enrollment
Shut -Off Royal Oak Township City of Pontiac Oakland County
Calendar Moratorium (413 eligible households) (9,133 eligible households) (12,350 eligible households)
Year for Pontiac and % of eligible % of eligible # % of eligible
Royal Oak Twp # Households # Households Households
2016
No
12
2.9%
354
3.9%
458
3.7%
2017
No
17
4.1%q
485
5.3%
660
5.3%
2018
No
8
1.9%
369
4.0%
510
4.1%
2019
No
3
0.7%
236
2.6%
349
2.8°%
2020
Yes
2
0.5%
172
I 1.9%
345
2.8%
2021
Yes
1
0.2%
153
1.7%
312
2.5%
The two tables below show the annual Oakland County funding gap for income -based water bill
assistance and arrearage assistance which will exist until a sustainable statewide funding solution is
enacted. An estimated timeframe for such enactment is currently unknown.
Oakland County is allocated funding annually through the Water Residential Assistance Program
(WRAP). As enrollment increases in WRAP the funding will be insufficient.
The percentage of enrollment is county-wide'for households at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty
Level.
The difference between the two tables is that one includes the federally funded arrearage assistance
through the Low -Income Household Water Assistance Program beyond its September 30, 2033 end date
and the other assumes the program will end at the set date.
WRAP Improvements - Annual Oakland County Funding Gap
Includes
Federal Funded LIHWAP, Beyond September 30, 2023
Calendar Year
2022
2023
2024
2025
1
2026
%Enrollment
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Available WRAP Funding
$ 800,000
$ , 800,000
$ 800,000 $ 800,000
$ 800,000 I�
Required WRAP Funding
$ 380,000
$ 760,000
$ 1,140,000
$ 1,520,000
$ 1,900,000 1
Funding GAP
$ (420,000) I
$ (40,000) $ 340,000 $ 720,000
$ 1,100,000
WRAP Improvements
- Annual Oakland County Funding Gap
Does not Include Federal
Funded LIHWAP, Beyond September 30, 2023 (1)
Calendar Year
2022
2023 2024 2025
2026
% Enrollment
5%
10% 15% 20%
25% f
Available WRAP Funding
$ 800,000
$ 800,000
$ 800,000 $ 800,000
$ 800,000
Required WRAP Funding
$ 380,000
I
$ 888,750
$ 1,912,500 $ 2,550,000
$ 3,187,500 t�
Funding GAP
$ (420,000)
$ 88,750 $ 1,112,500 $ 1,750,000
$ 2,387,500 1