Item 2- Draft Recommendation Franchise Low-Income Assistance 1.0 6 of 6 — original pdf

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RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20260120-XX Recommendation on Low-Income Assistance in Texas Gas Service Franchise Agreement WHEREAS, TGS currently has no customer assistance program that reduces monthly gas bills for low-income customers; and WHEREAS, TGS only provides minimal funding for emergency bill payments for low-income customers; and WHEREAS, in contrast, Austin Energy and Austin Water provide substantial funding for these kinds of low-income assistance; and THEN BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the City’s Resource Management Commission recommend that the Austin City Council implement the following policies related to the new Texas Gas Service franchise agreement: • The City should immediately require TGS to adopt an income-qualified monthly customer assistance program, to be phased in to enroll at least 7% of ratepayers in the Austin city limits by January 2029. This program could be funded with an increased franchise fee, a bill rider, or a modified rate structure. • The City should require TGS to fund at least $500,000 annually (to go up with annual inflation) for income-qualified emergency bill assistance in the Austin city limits, and to fund at least half of this with money paid by shareholders of the company.