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CIIY O[ TLLENSBLjRC COMF'REITFNSIVI PIAN recognized by the American Public Gas Association for its commitment to safety for many years. The natural gas utility issues safety-related information throughout the year for the general public. The natural gas utility offers a variety of services to the public, including assistance with applying for a service, with altering a service, or for developers so that they know what information is required when applying for a natural gas system for a subdivision or plat, ln an effort to mitigate higher wholesale electricity rates, the natural gas utility provides many incentives for adding gas service lines and switching to natural gas appliances for both homeowners and developers. The 6-year Natural Gas System Plan (2015-2020) estimated that the current contractual natural gas supply limit of the natural gas distribution system was such that the City would increase existing peak loads bV 2O%, Although there is a relationship between population growth and peak loads, the increase to peak load will depend on the future natural gas appliances that are installed (e.9. water heaters and stoves/ranges that have daily loads, compared to furnaces and fireplaces that contribute to peak loads). The City anticipates that incorporating the 2.0% population growth and projected Ellensburg population of 32,540 by 2037 into its next system modelto be completed in 2021 will result in the current contractual naturalgas supply limit could be reached within the next 20 years. The City will seek additional pipeline capacity as the natural gas utility approaches the current contractual natural gas supply limit. The Capital lmprovement Plan for the natural gas utility is anticipated to be primarily funded through a comblnation of ending fund balance, revenue generated through rates and revenue bonds. Grants are not typically available for natural gas utility capital improvements. At the end of 2016 the ending fund balance for the natural gas capital improvement plan was approximately $Z.g million. The debt to total assets ratio can be used to assess the utility's leverage for bonding. At the end of 2016, debt as a percentage of total assets for the natural gas utility was 26.3%. Based on industry standards and accepted debt ratios in the current market, the naturalgas utility indicates sufficient leverage to bond for capital improvement projects that will accommodate the projected 20 year growth. Telecommunlcatlons The Clty of Ellensburg ls the most recent munlcipallty in Washington State to have a Clty-owned telecommunlcations system, which was constructed ln 2015. The Clty created a telecommunicatlons utility in 2014 that currently servlces 50 locatlons wlth over 25 mlles of overhead fiber optic cable and two miles of underground fiber optic cable. There ls currently excess capacity ln the telecommunlcations system, and lf all flber optlc strands are eventually utlllzed the city would be able to replace the network hardware as necessary to gain addltlonal capacity. The Clty lights the network wlth City-owned equlpment. Operation and managernent CITY OF ELLENSBURG COMPREHENSIVE PLAN e CAPITAL FACILITIES AND UTILITIES r PAGE 102