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.71 Ld. .
Re: COVID-19: Utility Rate Assistance - Update
Kim Thompson
Vice President, Northwest Requirements Marketing
Bonneville Power Administration
P.O. Box 3621
Portland OR 97208-3621
I Dear Ms. Thompson,
This is a follow-up to the City's April 9, 2020 letter in which the City of Port Angeles requested financial
assistance from Bonneville Power Administration to aid our community during this challenging time. Two
weeks have passed and Port Angeles, like other communities, continues to struggle with the demands and
challenges of COVID-19 and the financial pressure faced by many.
In the April9th letter we highlighted some of the economic challenges: an estimated 50% unemployment rate,
restaurants closed or abandoned, and the drastic reduction of the tourist trade which makes up a significant
portion of the local economy, to name a few. We also highlighted some of the actions the City has taken in
response to these challenges, including using a large portion of precious General Fund dollars to provide utility
and rent relief. These funds are quickly dwindling with hundreds of applications received to date.
While these pressures continue, they do not provide the full detail of the challenges the City of Port Angeles
faces. The following bullets provide a glimpse of our community's utility challenges prior to the current
health emergency:
• Approximately 12% of our population is receiving utility assistance, prior to the COVID-19 crisis.
• We have the (31) lowest medium household income in the state.
• We have the 41' highest percent of population using food stamps in the state.
• An average of 38.6% of our resident family's household income is used to cover utility costs.
• Medium household income is lower than the average comparable city in the state.
As we had stated before, we cannot do this alone. At this time, we need a firm and permanent form of financial
relief from BPA. This relief must be in a form that does not require a future payoff or mechanism resembling
debt. We believe the solution that will help alleviate the COVID-19 related financial burden in an effective
way should not inherently increase our utility's financial burden down the road. We will be reaching out to
you in the next few days to schedule a meeting to discuss a path forward for BPA and Port Angeles.
Thank you for your time and attention,
Kate Dexter
Mayor, City of Port Angeles
Nathan A. West
City Manager, City of Port Angeles
Phone: 360-417-4500 / Fax: 360-417-4509 / TTY: 360-417-4645
Website: www.cityofpa.us / Email: council@cityofpa.us
321 East Fifth Street / Port Angeles, WA 98362-0217