HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-04-06 Finance Committee Action MinutesFINANCE COMMITTEE
ACTION MINUTES
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Special Meeting
April 6, 2021
The Finance Committee of the City of Palo Alto met on this date in virtual
teleconference at 6:01 P.M.
Present: Burt, Cormack, Filseth
Absent:
Agenda Items
1. Approval of the Macias Gini & O’Connell’s Single Audit Report for the
Year Ended June 30, 2020.
MOTION: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth for
the Finance Committee to approve and forward to City Council on the
consent calendar the following audit reports for the Fiscal Year ended June
30, 2020 prepared by Macias Gini & O’Connell (MGO):
A. Independent Auditor’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial
Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters Based on an Audit of
Financial Statements in Accordance With Government Auditing
Standards; and
B. Independent Auditor’s Report on Compliance for each Major Federal
Program; Report on Internal Control Over Compliance; and Report on
the Schedule of Federal Awards Required by the Uniform Guidance.
MOTION PASSED: 3-0
2. Staff Recommendation That the Finance Committee Recommend the
City Council Adopt a Resolution Approving the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022
Wastewater Collection Utility Financial Plan Including Transfers to and
From Wastewater Collection Utility Reserve Accounts and an
Amendment to the Wastewater Collection Utility Reserves Management
Practices; and Adopt a Resolution Adjusting Wastewater Rates by
Amending Rate Schedules S-1 (Residential Wastewater Collection and
Disposal), S-2 (Commercial Wastewater Collection and Disposal), S-6
DRAFT ACTION MINUTES
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Sp. Finance Committee Meeting
Action Minutes: 04/06/2021
(Restaurant Wastewater Collection and Disposal) and S-7 (Commercial
Wastewater Collection and Disposal – Industrial Discharger).
MOTION: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth that
the Finance Committee recommend the City Council:
A. Adopt a Resolution approving:
i. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Wastewater Collection Financial Plan;
ii. Up to a $2.2 million transfer from the Operations Reserve to the
Capital Improvements Projects Reserve in FY 2021;
iii. Up to a $4.35 million transfer from the Operations Reserve to
the Capital Improvement Projects Reserve in FY 2022;
iv. Amendments to the Wastewater Collection Utility Reserves
Management Practices; and
B. Adopt a Resolution approving:
i. Adjustments to Wastewater Collection Utility Rates via the
Amendment of Rate Schedules S-1 (Residential Wastewater
Collection and Disposal), S-2 (Commercial Wastewater Collection
and Disposal), S-6 (Restaurant Wastewater Collection and
Disposal) and S-7 (Commercial Wastewater Collection and
Disposal – Industrial Discharger).
MOTION PASSED: 3-0
3. Staff Recommendation That the Finance Committee Recommend the
City Council Adopt a Resolution Approving the Fiscal Year 2022 Water
Utility Financial Plan, With no Water Rate Increase for Fiscal Year
2022.
MOTION: Council Member Filseth moved, seconded by Vice Mayor Burt that
the Finance Committee recommend the City Council adopt a Resolution
approving:
A. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Water Utility Financial Plan; and
B. A transfer of up to $13.24 million from the Operations Reserve to the
CIP Reserve in FY 2022.
MOTION PASSED: 3-0
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Sp. Finance Committee Meeting
Action Minutes: 04/06/2021
4. Staff and the Utilities Advisory Commission Recommendation That the
Finance Committee Recommend the City Council Adopt a Resolution
Approving the Fiscal Year 2022 Gas Utility Financial Plan, Including
Proposed Transfers and an Amendment to the Gas Utility Reserve
Management Practices, and Increasing Gas Rates by Amending Rate
Schedules G-1 (Residential Gas Service), G-2 (Residential Master-
Metered and Commercial Gas Service), G-3 (Large Commercial Gas
Service), and G-10 (Compressed Natural Gas Service).
MOTION: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth that
the Finance Committee recommend the City Council:
A. Adopt a Resolution:
i. Approving the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Gas Utility Financial Plan;
ii. Transferring up to $3.9 million from the Rate Stabilization
Reserve (RSR) to the Operations Reserve in FY 2022;
iii. Transferring $4.542 million from the Rate Stabilization Reserve
to the Cap-and-Trade Program Reserve in FY 2021;
iv. Amendments to the Gas Utility Reserve Management Practices;
B. Adopt a Resolution:
i. Approving a 5 percent distribution rate (3 percent overall)
increase to Gas Utility Rates.
MOTION PASSED: 3-0
5. Staff and the Utilities Advisory Commission Recommendation That the
Finance Committee Recommend the City Council Adopt a Resolution
Approving the Fiscal Year 2022 Electric Financial Plan and Reserve
Transfers, and Amending Utility Rate Schedules E-EEC-1 (Export
Electricity Compensation), E-NSE-1 (Net Surplus Electricity
Compensation), E-2-G (Residential Master-metered and Small Non-
residential Green Power Electric Service), E-4-G (Medium Non-
residential Green Power Electric Service, and E-7-G (Large Non-
residential Electric Service).
MOTION: Vice Mayor Burt moved, seconded by Council Member Filseth that
the Finance Committee recommend the City Council:
A. Adopt a Resolution:
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i. Approving the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Electric Financial Plan;
ii. Approving a transfer of up to $5 million from the Capital
Improvement Project (CIP) Reserve to the Distribution
Operations Reserve at the end of FY 2021;
iii. Approving a transfer of up to $1 million from the Supply
Operations Reserve to the Electric Special Projects (ESP) reserve
at the end of FY 2021;
iv. Approving an allocation of up to $1.19 million from the Cap and
Trade Program Reserve at the end of FY 2021 to be spent on
local decarbonization programs;
v. Updating the Export Electricity Compensation (E-EEC-1) rate to
reflect current projections of avoided cost, effective July 1, 2021
vi. Updating the Net Surplus Electricity Compensation (E-NSE-1)
rate to reflect current projections of avoided cost, effective July
1, 2021;
vii. Updating the Palo Alto Green program pass-through premium
charge on the Residential Master-Metered and Small Non-
Residential Green Power Electric Service (E-2-G), the Medium
Non-Residential Green Power Electric Service (E-4-G), and the
Large Non-Residential Green Power Electric Service (E-7-G) rate
schedules to reflect current costs, effective July 1, 2021; and
B. Direct Staff to return after the summer recess with a systematic
communication plan to provide customers with rate histories, trends,
and competitive standing compared to other jurisdictions and forward
to the Utilities Advisory Commission for review and recommendation;
and
C. Direct Staff to return after the summer recess with the evaluation of
the Electric Bill Utility reliability history and comparative performance
to other jurisdictions to the extent that is available and forward to the
Utilities Advisory Commission for review and recommendation.
MOTION PASSED: 3-0
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:23 P.M.