BILL NUMBER:S1095

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the administrative code of the city of
New York and the public authorities law, in relation to abolishing the
minimum charge for water supply in the city of New York

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends Section 24-335 of the administrative code
of the city of New York by eliminating language for a minimum charge.

Section 2 of the bill amends Section 1045-j of the public authorities
law by adding a new subdivision 3-a which mandates that the water
board shall not impose any type of minimum charge, fee, rate or rent
upon any class of users.

Section 3 of the bill sets forth an immediate effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

This law will eliminate the current city regulations which impose a
minimum charge for water service within a monthly billing period as
per New York City Rules and Regulations, Title 15, § II B.

On a daily basis, citizens of this city are faced with unrelenting
cost of living increases while many are on fixed incomes. The ever
              

increasing costs for everything from gasoline prices to property tax
increases to the cost of medical care and prescription medicines are
making it virtually impossible for many people to financially survive.

In response to these uncontrollable costs, one of the ways in which
people try and gain some control over their monthly budgets is by
conserving their use of heating fuel, vehicle fuel, and for many,
their consumption of water. Unfortunately, because of the "minimum
charge" for metered water rates being assessed by the city, people who
are conserving their water use are in effect being penalized for that
conservation.

The minimum charge for water service is one of those regulations that
makes no sense and ultimately sends the wrong message to consumers.
If we are going to charge for consumption, then charge for consumption
and do not penalize those people who are trying to conserve their
water usage.

Not only can conservation help people on fixed incomes to control
their costs, but it is also an important virtue that we should all be
adhering to with the ever-increasing demands we are placing on our
environment.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To Be Determined.


EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.