Brandon M. Scott President Baltimore City Council 100 Holliday Street, Suite 400 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 410-396-4804 Fax: 410-539-0647 e-mail: councilpresident@baltimorecity.gov April 28, 2020 Matthew Garbark Acting Director, Department of Public Works 200 Holliday Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Dear Acting Director Garbark, As you are aware, City Council Vice President Sharon Greene Middleton will be holding a hearing on Council Resolution 20-0205R Informational Hearing - Implementing the Water Accountability and Equity Act this Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 11 am. I respectfully ask that you come prepared to speak about DPWs efforts to implement the Water Accountability and Equity Act and the questions below: Implementation of the WAEA 1. What specific steps has DPW taken to implement the Water Accountability & Equity Act, since it was signed into law in January? How do you plan to meet the implementation deadline of July 13, 2020? 2. DPW did not publish draft regulations for the affordability program by April 13, 2020, as required by law. What is the process for drafting the draft regulations, when will they be published and when will a public hearing for input be held? 3. What steps has DPW taken thus far to alter its accounting or billing software for implementation of the WAEA? Has DPW developed WAEA-specific training for its staff ahead of the July 13, 2020 implementation deadline? 4. What agencies has DPW discussed the new WAEA affordability with and what agencies will help implement the program and enroll customers? What role will CAP centers play in implementing the WAEA? 5. What is the timeline for hiring the Head of the Office of Customer Advocacy? Will the City commit to any form of citizen input into the hiring process? 6. One of the major promises in the WAEA is that the Customer Advocate’s Office will be independent of DPW so that it can vigorously protect customer’s interests. However, the advocate’s office is technically still a part of DPW. To protect its independence, what rules will the City put in place to protect the customer advocates from potential DPW influence? 7. Customers were promised water bill hearings before the Environmental Control Board starting August 2019. How many water hearings has the ECB held since then? What issues has the ECB seen and how has it resolved customer concerns about sky-high bills that don’t seem to have any logical explanation? What does a customer need to do to get a hearing? Are they happening by phone during the pandemic? 8. The law requires an Oversight Committee, made up of the Inspector General, the City Auditor, the DPW director, the City Council President, and 3 city council members. The Committee is also required to hold at least two public hearings a year, effective July 13, 2020, with a Brandon M. Scott President Baltimore City Council 100 Holliday Street, Suite 400 Baltimore, Maryland 21202 410-396-4804 Fax: 410-539-0647 e-mail: councilpresident@baltimorecity.gov requirement to hold the first hearing by January 13, 2021. Will the Oversight Committee be created by July 13, 2020? 9. Will DPW continue to administer the H2O Assists program in conjunction with the Water-for-All program implemented by the WAEA? How do you plan to coordinate the enrollment process for the H2O Assists program and the Water-for-All program? Will the CAP Centers provide assistance to enroll households in the Water for All program? Will the online BH2O Assists application portal be able to process Water for All applications? 10. Does DPW presently foresee a date beyond July 13, 2020, when the WAEA will be fully operationalized? If DPW foresees a delay in operationalizing the ordinance beyond July 13, 2020, what is the nature of the delay, what are its causes, and what steps are planned to achieve the soonest possible implementation of the ordinance? If DPW foresees a delay beyond July 13, 2020, what alternative measures will DPW put in place to mitigate violations of City obligations under the ordinance? DPW’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic 1. How can individuals who have lost their job enroll in H2O Assists? What is needed to prove unemployment eligibility? 2. How many H2O Assists applications has DPW processed since the start of the state of emergency? How many have you received? How many staff members are dedicated to helping people enroll? 3. Is the online H2O Assists application ready to go live on May 8, 2020, as previously reported? How long will it take to enroll households in that program through the online portal? 4. What sources of funding has the city identified to help provide emergency assistance for lowincome water bills? Sincerely, Brandon M. Scott President, Baltimore City Council