City approves one-time utility relief program to avoid shut offs during the cold

Blaine City Council voted 4-0 during its December 27 regular meeting to use federal funds to implement a one-time utility relief program for residents unable to pay their December utility bill. The program delayed shut offs that would have happened this week. 

With temperatures dipping into the teens this week, the city will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to pay the utility bills for 40-50 households this month, finance director Daniel Heverling said, which could total up to $10,000. This will help those families avoid losing heat during one of the coldest weeks this year. 

The relief program is only a one-time deal for this month. Heverling said if the city would like to delay shut offs again due to severe weather, it would have to change its municipal code.

The city ended its utility moratorium in early November after governor Jay Inslee lifted Washington state’s utility shut off moratorium at the beginning of October.

In November, the city saw 112 shut offs but Heverling said most of those had their utilities turned back on after paying their bills or seeking a payment plan. On average, he said around 100 customers have their utilities shut off after the 30-day billing cycle is up and they’ve failed to pay. But he said most of those customers pay their bill shortly after their utilities are turned off. 

“There is definitely communication from the city to those individuals behind on their payments,” Heverling said. “We don’t want to shut people off, we rather they pay, or get on a payment plan.”

Customers currently on payment plans with the city of Blaine have 12 months to pay off overdue bills before becoming at risk of a shut off. People behind on bills owe on average $700. Heverling said the debt ranges from a couple of hundred dollars to $1,000.

Heverling said the city currently has 75 customers on utility payment plans and that the city is owed about $75,000 from customers behind on either electrical and/or water bills. The city has approximately 3,500 connections. 

Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD) finance director Sandi McMillan said the district will not return to service shut offs until March 2022.

With 7,969 connections, BBWSD has 99 customers who are two or more bills behind during the pandemic, McMillan said in an email to The Northern Light. Those accounts owe the district $52,526, she said. The district offers a 12-month repayment plan for customers in arrears and is in constant contact with community resources, McMillan said.

Besides entering into payment plans, customers behind on utility payments are also encouraged to seek assistance from the Opportunity Council and Community Assistance Program.

Heverling said he’s heard from those who have reached out to the Opportunity Council getting $500 of assistance if they qualify. Most of the city’s customers could pay overdue bills with this assistance and wouldn’t need a payment plan, he said, but he suspects most aren’t taking advantage of it.

Opportunity Council community services manager Lorena Shah said a Blaine customer who is income eligible could receive up to $5,000 in arrearage assistance, while BBWSD customers could receive up to $2,500. The federal energy and water assistance programs are split, Shah said, each offering up to $2,500 to those in arrears who are eligible.