Recommendation 20240716-005: Utility Assistance and Incentives Landing Page — original pdf

Recommendation

BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Resource Management Commission Recommendation No. 20240716-005 Resolution on Centralized Utility Assistance and Incentives Landing Page for the City of Austin Website WHEREAS, Travis County Health and Human Services estimated that 25% of county residents were living below 200% of the poverty level in 2020; and WHEREAS, Austin Water, Austin Energy, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Texas Gas Service, Atmos Energy, CenterPoint Energy, and other utility providers offer low-income assistance programs to customers in the Austin area; and WHEREAS, demand-side reductions are needed to meet the goals of the 2035 Austin Energy Resource Generation and Climate Protection Plan, and the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals in the Austin Climate Equity Plan; and WHEREAS, Austin Water, Austin Energy, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Texas Gas Service, Atmos Energy, CenterPoint Energy, and other utility providers offer conservation incentive programs to customers in the Austin area to conserve water and energy usage; and WHEREAS, assistance and incentive programs for electricity, water, natural gas, and other utility services are sometimes difficult for ratepayers to locate unless they are already familiar with them; and WHEREAS, a landing page on the City of Austin website containing direct links to utility provider low- income assistance and conservation incentive programs would be a valuable service to the community at very little cost. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Resource Management Commission recommend to the Austin City Council that the City's web sites for various utility assistance and conservation programs be merged to create a one-stop, centralized, user-friendly portal to help customers access all forms of utility assistance; and LET IT FURTHER BE RESOLVED that the Resource Management Commission recommend to the Austin City Council that the centralized portal include links to utility assistance and conservation programs managed by Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Texas Gas Service, Atmos Energy, CenterPoint Energy, and other utility providers serving Austin customers. Vote: 7-0 For: Commissioner Louis Stone, Chair; Commissioner Paul Robbins, Vice Chair; Commissioner Charlotte Davis; Commissioner Trey Farmer; Commissioner Shane Johnson; Commissioner Chelsey Scaffidi; Commissioner Alison Silverstein Against: None Abstentions: None Off Dais: Commissioner GeNell Gary Absences: Commissioner Dino Sasaridis Vacancies: District 2 and Mayor’s Office Attest: Natasha Goodwin, Staff Liaison