I. RECOMMENDATION:
This item was requested as a Future Agenda Item by Councilman Adkisson.
City Manager included additional language and recommends Council introduce and waive first reading of Ordinance No. 837.
II. BACKGROUND:
III. DISCUSSION:
Language includes:
The City shall not discontinue utility service to any customer for reason of nonpayment and no late fees or interest shall accrue. Any customer whose utility service has been shut off or terminated for nonpayment shall have service restored for the declared emergency, without any reconnection charges.
Non-essential City services may be suspended, including but not limited to responding to requests under the California Public Records Act.
As of March 19, 2020, there shall be instituted a price and rate freeze on consumer goods and lodging facilities which may have limited availability as a result of an emergency or disaster situation. No person or business shall charge a price greater than 10% above prices for such goods as of March 19, 2020.
All City owned parks are closed.
Rent Deferral, Eviction Moratorium, and Foreclosures.
No residential tenant in the City shall be evicted due to loss of income related to a business closure, loss of hours or wages, layoffs, or out-of-pocket medical costs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Commercial landlords in the City are hereby prohibited from evicting commercial tenants for nonpayment of rent with respect to tenants whose businesses are subject to this Section or are otherwise closed, voluntarily or by order, to prevent or reduce the spread of COVID-19.
A tenant must notify their landlord if they cannot pay rent due to a COVID-19 related impact. Within one week of this notice, the tenant must provide documentation or other objective information that they cannot pay rent. Tenants will have up to six (6) months after the termination of the emergency declaration to repay any back due rent.
This eviction moratorium shall be in effect through April 30, 2020, and may be extended by the Council for additional thirty (30) day periods, so long as the City’s proclamation of local emergency is in effect.
Residents and businesses should not face foreclosure as a result COVID-19. Lenders are encouraged to provide a forbearance agreement for up to six (6) months for borrowers impacted by COVID-19, without impacting the borrower’s credit.
City staff shall apply for all available state and federal funding related to the COVID-19 emergency.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
Do not introduce and waive first reading of Ordinance No. 837.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact to the City is minimal but the amount cannot be determined as the only impact would be the loss of late fees charged which would vary depending on utility bills that would be unpaid. |