AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light and Seattle Public Utilities Departments; temporarily removing the charge of interest on delinquent utility consumption and utilization accounts; superseding several sections under Title 21 that authorize and require the collection of interest on delinquent utility consumption and utilization accounts; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation? Item number four. Will the clerk please read item four into the record? Agenda item for Capital 119896. Relating to the city, white and Seattle Public Police departments. Temporarily removing the charge of interest, as we put it, would be a consumption and utilization account to preceding several sections. Under Title 21, but. Authorize and require the collection of interest on delinquent utility consumption and relocation accounts and replying. Confirming search and prior. Thank you, madam. And in the past, Council Bill 119896. Is there a second? Second. It's been moved and seconded to pass the bill. Councilmember Peterson, you are the sponsor of this legislation and are recognized in order to address the item. Thank you, Council President. As I mentioned at council briefing this morning, this council bill 119896 is another example of the relief that we've all been providing during the COVID pandemic. Specifically, this legislation is needed to extend for another several months the ordinance that we passed earlier this year to prevent charges for late payments on utility bills. This financial release applies to both of the utility enterprises that we own and operate Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities. Happy to support this extension and thank Mayor Durkan and her general managers of each utility, Deborah Smith and Mommy Harrah, for figuring out a way to make this happen financially. This relief extends through the end of this year and we can visit it again at that time. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Peterson, are there any additional comments on the bill? Councilmember Mosquito, did you have your hand raised? Yes, because of arms data, please. Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues, I am happy to be voting to extend the suspension of late fees until January 2021. But want to note, as I think Councilmember Peterson, you just articulated as well, it's possible that we will likely need to revisit the timeline before it expires at the beginning of next year. We know that the crisis of the COVID impacts will not end at the beginning of next year. And in fact, given compounding crises that are in front of us may even be more acute as various protections and support systems erode, either at this at the federal level or local supports expire. So I just wanted to lift that point up and say, I think this is a really good step for us to be taking right now. But also note that advocates such as Puget Sound Sage are working at the state level for utility relief, recognizing these bills are an important piece of the affordability puzzle, and that without them there are serious hardships that folks are experiencing, whether it's struggling to pay rent or put food on the table or care for families. And although there is a moratorium on shut offs in place, that's in Seattle during COVID emergency, we don't want any households to be racking up utility late fees during this pandemic. And therefore, it's extremely likely, in my opinion, that we will need to revisit the change prior to the January 1st, 2021 expiration. But every little bit matters and is really important right now. So excited to support Councilmember Peterson on this effort and looking forward to future conversations on this. Thank you, Governor Mosquito. Are there any additional comments on the bill? All right, colleagues, hearing no additional comments, will the court please call the roll on the passage of the bill? Morales. Morales. Yes. Macheda. Hi, Petersen. Hi. The one? Yes. Strauss. Yes. Herbold. Yes. Suarez. I. Lewis. Yes. President Gonzalez. Yes. Nine in favor, none opposed. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation? Agenda item number five. Will the clerk please read item five into the record?