Medina Today

City of Wadsworth recently issued the following announcement.

The Wadsworth Utility Assistance Program (Program) provides funding to offset amounts owed on delinquent Wadsworth utility accounts that meet the Program’s eligibility requirements. The Director of Public Service administers the Program and Wadsworth City Council authorized Program funding from dollars received from the ARPA.

Program Eligibility

Only account holders with a past due balance attributable to a catastrophic financial event directly related to the COVID pandemic are eligible for Program assistance. For purposes of this policy a ‘catastrophic financial event’ is defined as an event that satisfies all three of the following conditions:

1. The event occurred unexpectedly.
2. The event was caused by external factors beyond the account holder’s control.
3. The account holder suffered significant financial loss as a result of the event’s occurrence.

Examples of catastrophic financial events include Job loss, reduction in work hours, unexpected medical bills/childcare expenses, etc.

Program Restrictions

1. Customers of the Wadsworth Utility Department meeting the requirements listed below are eligible to participate in the Program. Both residential and business customers are eligible for assistance. Business customers should be aware that any assistance they receive through this Program is subject to the public disclosure and reporting provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act.
2. Assistance is only available to residential and business customers of the Wadsworth Utility Department.
3. Program awards are made on a ‘first come, first served’ basis through the application of a single lump sum offset applied against the customer’s account balance. Cash distributions are not available.
4. Program assistance is capped at $500 per customer, and customers are limited to one request for assistance during any 6-month period.
5. Customers may not receive the full amount of their requests. Awards are based on remaining Program funds relative to the number of applications received. Customers retain payment responsibility for outstanding balances in excess of Program awards.
6. Assistance is only available for balances accrued after March 3, 2021.
7. Program funds are subject to the provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as the restrictions, limitations, and eligibility requirements imposed by the City of Wadsworth.

How To Apply

Customers seeking financial assistance through this Program are required to submit a “Request for Assistance” application explaining the attribution relationship between the COVID pandemic and the customer’s past due account balance. Applications can be found by visiting  http://assistance.wadsworthcity.com/utility/apply/

Original source can be found here.