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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, November 14, 2016 Page 27 Finance Director Miller provided a rate overview, incorporating updated figures for the twenty-year CIP, and rate increases and/or decreases in each utility fund, along with including the net change as projected in Recycling Revenue Sharing under the recycling contract as approved earlier tonight. Finance Director Miler advised that staff had prepared a draft resolution establish- ing the 2017 utility rates for City Council consideration tonight. However, Mr. Miller suggested the resolution could await adoption at a future meeting. On page 4 of the RCA, Councilmember Etten noted expenses for stormwater- related capital and “other services and charges,” asking if that could be brought down further. Based on Mr. Culver’s comments earlier tonight, Finance Director Miller advised that was a possibility to shave off further money for the Stormwater Fund that hadn’t been factored into the rates yet, but extracted during staff’s rate analysis. However, Mr. Miller noted this plan only occurs every ten years, and therefore was not considered part of the revenue stream. Based on City Council direction for using reserves for one-time costs versus applying them to base rates, Mr. Mil- ler advised this was the recommendation in this case. Councilmember Etten noted comments he’d heard from residents and their frus- trations in losing the senior discount, not based on federal income guidelines through Ramsey County records. Councilmember Etten asked staff is there was any way to include more households or another barometer that could be used to tie a higher income threshold into that used by Ramsey County. Finance Director Miller advised that, as of now, there were 3-4 programs tied to income at the 160% of federal income guidelines; with other energy companies offering financial assistance programs for residents as well. Mr. Miller noted the city might have more local control with its rate structure, but if identifying the demographic group and requested financial relief, it would simply make the rate structure more favorable for another segment and less favorable for the remaining segments. Mr. Miller stated the question for the City Council was where it want- ed to provide the relief; and since the city doesn’t verify incomes and relied on applications for other programs through Ramsey County, in order to revise the program or demographic, it would involve additional city administrative costs to implement. Mr. Miller noted this was part of the discussion several years ago when the City Council changed the discount program from age to income veri- fied. Mr. Miller advised that one year ago, the city had nineteen households in- volved in the discount program, and now it had twenty-nine households. Mr. Mil- ler opined that he was confident there were more that qualified in Roseville, but for one reason or another, chose not to apply for reduced rates via an income veri- fication process.