City of Long Beach - File #: 05-2543

• File #: 05-2543
• Version: 1
• Name: Gas utility service, meter reading, and billing to customers 15.40.070 & 15.40.090
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Adopted
• File created: 3/16/2005
• In control: City Council
• On agenda: 4/5/2005
• Final action: 4/5/2005
• Title: Recommendation to declare Ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code Sections 15.40.070 and 15.40.090, relating to gas utility service, meter reading, and billing to customers and other responsible adults for City-owned utility accounts read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
• Sponsors: Financial Management, Long Beach Energy
• Code sections: 15.40.070 - Payment of bills., 15.40.090 - Meter reading and correction.
• Related files: 08-0626, 09-0841

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
4/5/2005	1	City Council	approve recommendation	Pass
3/22/2005	1	City Council	declare ordinance read the first time and laid over to the next regular meeting of the City Council for final reading	Pass

TITLE
Recommendation to declare Ordinance amending Long Beach Municipal Code Sections 15.40.070 and 15.40.090, relating to gas utility service, meter reading, and billing to customers and other responsible adults for City-owned utility accounts read and adopted as read.
(Citywide)

DISCUSSION
On February 1, 2005, the City Council authorized the City Manager to execute a Fourth Amendment to Contract No. 20610 between the City of Long Beach and Southern California Edison (SCE) for Meter Reading Services. This action, originally proposed in the Three-Year Financial Strategic Plan, will generate potential savings of $984,007 annually, once fully implemented. The savings come from reading gas and water meters every other month (bimonthly) rather than each month. Customers will still be billed monthly using estimated usage for the month that the meter is not read.

As a result of this action, changes to the Long Beach Municipal Code must be
addressed, specifically Section 15.40.090 E, which describes the relationship between meter reading and billing. Currently, Municipal Code Section 15.40.090 specifies that bills for services shall be rendered at regular intervals of time - approximately one month, and that meters shall be read at regular intervals for the preparation of regular bills. In addition, the Municipal Code specifies the methodology for the calculation of the bill. The changes to this section will allow for monthly billing using either monthly or bimonthly meter reading to prepare the bills. Also, the method for calculating estimated
usage will be addressed.

In addition to the changes to Section 15.40.090, an amendment to Municipal Code Section 15.40.070, Payment of Bills, is recommended at this time. A fairly common circumstance arises when one tenant of a dwelling shared by others agrees to put utility services in hidher name. According to the State Civil Code, all tenants that enjoy the benefit of the utility are liable for the cost of the utility e...