Oxnard--The City Council ratified a grant application for the California Extended Water and Wastewater Arrearage Program during their Tuesday, Feb. 20 meeting.
ACCEPTING the $199,651 payment for delinquent water charges and $197,164 for delinquent sewer charges related to Covid-19 includes 3 percent administrative costs.
The State Water Resources Control Board created a short-term funding program providing relief to community water and wastewater bill debt related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Council adopted a resolution on March 15, 2022, for the City to apply for water and wastewater arrearages from March 4, 2020, through June 15, 2021.
The City of Oxnard has been granted $1.259 million for arrearages under the program to date.
Public Works Department Senior Administrative Analyst Luis Ortega Sr. led the discussion and said the debt for commercial and residential customers from March 4, 2020, to June 15, 2021, was forgiven.
“Any unused, unspent funds were returned back to the State,” he said. “The State has reopened this program to allow for additional debt forgiveness for the period of June 16, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2022. The applications opened Nov. 1, 2023, with a close date of Jan. 31, 2024.”
Ortega said the City was notified…
