129-22 - Kitsap Community Resources - ContractLOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
2022-2023 VENDOR AGREEMENT
This agreement, dated as of October 1, 2022, is entered into by and between Kitsap Community
Resources (Agency), and City of Port Orchard Utility (Vendor), a supplier of home water and/or waste
water.
PURPOSE
Public Law No: 116-260 signed on December 27, 2020, included funding with instructions for the
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to carry out grants to assist low-income households, particularly those with the lowest
incomes, that pay a high proportion of household income for drinking water and wastewater services,
by providing funds to owners or operators of public water systems or treatment works to reduce
arrearages of and rates charged to such households for such services. This act requires that certain
assurances be satisfied before assistance payments are made, on behalf of eligible individuals, to
suppliers of drinking water and wastewater. This agreement defines the conditions that the Vendor
must agree to so that the Agency can make assistance payments to the Vendor on behalf of eligible
households.
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Agency shall:
1. Accept and review client applications and determine eligibility of households for payments.
2. Follow procedures that minimize the time elapsing between the receipt of funds and their
disbursement to Vendor.
3. Make payments in a timely manner to the Vendor on behalf of eligible households for the term of
this agreement.
4. Follow sound fiscal management policies, including, but not limited to segregation of funds from
other operating funds of the Agency.
5. Notify customer and/or Vendor of the customer's eligibility and total benefit amount.
6. Incorporate policies that assure the confidentiality of eligible household's usage, balance, and
payments.
7. Upon request from Vendor; provide a statement verifying income of an eligible household for the
sole purpose of determining moratorium eligibility, within the statutory guidelines of
confidentiality.
WATER VENDOR RESPONSIBILITIES
The Vendor shall:
1. Immediately apply the benefit payment to customer's current/past due bill, deposit/reconnect
requirements, or arrearages to eliminate the amount owed by the customer and agree to maintain
service to customer for a period of 30 days.
2. Notify the customer of the amount of benefit payment applied to the customer's billing.
3. Keep customer records confidential.
4. Maintain records for four (4) years from the date of this agreement, or long if the Vendor is
notified that a fiscal audit for a specific program year is unresolved.
5. Not treat adversely, or discriminate against any household that receives assistance payments,
either in the cost of the goods supplied or the services provided.
Page 1 of 2
6. Upon request of the Agency, provide eligible customer's consumption history and account
balance for the sole purpose of determining customer benefit.
7. Comply with the provisions of the state law regarding disconnects and pertinent provisions of the
Washington Administrative Code related to moratorium, if governed by that ruling.
8. Make records available for review by authorized staff of the Agency and Washington State
Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
REQUIRED RECORDS FOR AUDIT PURPOSES
The Vendor will keep records showing the following:
1. Name and address of households who received assistance payments.
2. Amount of assistance to each household.
3. Source of payment.
OTHER PROVISIONS
Term of Agreement
This agreement is effective from the date of execution.
Termination
This agreement may be terminated by either party with a thirty (30) day written notice to the other party.
Termination shall not extinguish authorized obligations incurred during the term of the agreement. If
funding is withdrawn, reduced, or eliminated by Commerce, the Agency has the right to terminate this
agreement immediately.
Assignment of Agreement
Neither party may assign the agreement or any of the rights, benefits and remedies conferred upon it by
this agreement to a third party without the prior written consent of the other party, which consent shall
not be unreasonably withheld.
The Vendor and the Agency do hereby agree to the conditions set forth in this agreement.
AGENCY
.I w C/ sal�o_
SigrWfire
Irmgard Davis
Printed Name
Fiscal Officer
Title
Kitsap Community Resources
Name of Company
Date
Page 2 of 2
VENDOR
Signature
Robert Putaansuu
Printed Name
Mayor
Title
City of Port Orchard
Name of Company
12/ 15/2022
Date