In response to City Council direction during the water rate study, staff has developed and implemented a Customer Assistance Program to provide financial relief to qualifying residential municipal account holders facing bill payment difficulties.

The program provides eligible customers with a $10 monthly bill credit for one year, with recertification required annually. Customers qualify by documenting current enrollment in eligible government assistance programs, including SNAP, LIHEAP, Medicaid/AHCCCS, Section 8, SSI, Coconino County Utility Assistance, and the National School Lunch/Breakfast Program. Additional programs serving households at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level or 50% of Area Median Income may also qualify upon approval. The customer's name must appear on both the municipal account and assistance program documentation.

To fulfill Council's direction for community support, the program includes a donation mechanism allowing municipal customers and community members to contribute to a pooled fund that supports program participants. Customers can make one-time contributions or establish recurring monthly donations through the City's new payment page, with the ability to modify or discontinue recurring donations by contacting Customer Service.

This pilot program has been designed with streamlined qualification processes to minimize administrative burden while ensuring compatibility with the City's billing system. The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis and is funded primarily through community donations. City funding is not guaranteed, and the City reserves the right to limit participation or discontinue the program based on available resources. Water Services has committed $10,000 as one-time funding for the first year of the program. 

Program Launch and Application Process: The Customer Assistance Program soft-launched in early November. Eligible customers apply through the City website, with applications typically processed within one business day and credits applied to the subsequent billing cycle.

Donation Platform and Accessibility: The program accepts donations through multiple channels to maximize community participation. One-time contributions are available through a City website payment page. Recognizing that approximately 70% of municipal customers receive electronic bills and 60% utilize autopay, staff prioritized developing a recurring donation option to ensure these customers can easily contribute without requiring separate transactions. Customers can establish recurring monthly donations by contacting Customer Service via email or during the online contribution process by providing their municipal account number. Staff is exploring additional payment integration options to further streamline the donation process in future phases.

Outreach and Community Awareness: To inform residents about the program, staff has implemented a phased communication strategy. E-bill customers currently receive information via a link included in their electronic bills. Bill inserts will be included in all customer bills to reach the full customer base and promote both program participation and donation opportunities. The program is currently in the Creative Services que for full design creation. 

Financial Sustainability: As designed, the program is intended to operate as a donation-funded initiative. Staff will closely monitor donation revenue against program enrollment to ensure sustainability. Regular reporting will be provided to Council on program participation, donation levels, and fund balance to inform decisions regarding program continuation and potential modifications.