PUD Applying for CARES Funding & Prequalifying Customers in Need

UPDATE 10/13/20 - The Mason County Commissioners passed the agreement. PUD 3 is a subrecipient of the federal CARES dollars by way of Mason County/Commerce.

BACKGROUND - Mason PUD 3 has applied for $300,000 of federal CARES Act funding from Mason County to help its customers who are behind with their electric bills due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. The PUD also applied for two other reimbursements with the county for CARES Act funding for the reimbursement of the Wi-Fi hotspots as well as for expenses related to telecommuting. None of these expenses were approved through FEMA.

The county received $5.2 million from the Washington State Department of Commerce from the Federal CARES Act to provide direct economic assistance for American workers and families, and small businesses. Each of the PUD’s claims fall under the allowable expenses in the CARES Act, however the PUD is not allowed to apply directly for these funds as Commerce has established a method to disperse the funds through each rural county in the state.

The county is working with the PUD on the reimbursement of the Wi-Fi hotspots, and with Mason PUD 1 and Mason PUD 3, for reimbursement of customer accounts for customers impacted by COVID-19.

If we are successful at becoming a ‘sub-recipient’ of these funds from the county, we will be responsible for administering the distribution of the funds to customers by the end of November. The idea is that we must spend it and request reimbursement from the county and the county must do the same (reimburse the PUD and request reimbursement from Commerce) since the CARES act funds are for reimbursable expenses.

That is why the PUD has decided to begin prequalifying customers now so that we have time to collect applications and supporting documentation to determine eligibility before the deadline to disperse the funds. If we are unsuccessful with the county, our customers may be disappointed, but we would have been prepared to help the maximum amount of people if we are successful.

Through the month of October, we are urging customers to prequalify by filling out an application online at www.pud3.org/CARES. Since there is a limited timeframe that the funds will be available and they will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. The intent of the CARES grants is to provide help to Mason County residents who have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 public health emergency at any time since March 1, 2020, due to job loss, reduction in work hours, layoff, illness or other circumstances that place them at risk of utility disconnect, and who meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the application. The deadline for customers to apply is November 10, 2020 which will allow the PUD to process the applications and determine award payments (if available). Most likely the award payments will be applied as credits to the eligible Applicant’s utility accounts by December of this year.

We are excited for our customers to possibly have some relief from the stress of having their PUD bills in arrears prior to going into the high-bill, winter months and Annette and several staff members are working hard daily to prepare the program and convince the county commissioners that this is a worthy cause and exactly what the CARES funds were intended to do.

If you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact Diane Hennessy, Sherry Speaks, or Lynn Eaton.