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SeaTac council sends study of public EV charging stations to committee amid mixed views
Summary
Councilmembers agreed to refer a citizen request form (CRF) to study public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to committee. Some members urged delay until the comprehensive plan/climate element is updated and flagged cost and funding uncertainty; others said committee review is appropriate to explore grant partnerships.
The SeaTac City Council on April 8 agreed to refer a citizen request form (CRF 2005-08) to the Transportation and Public Works committee for study and discussion of public electric vehicle charging stations in SeaTac.
Councilmember Joe Vincent introduced the referral. Councilmember Sunai Noguse (spelled in meeting as Sunai/Sunite) and others said they support the long-term goal of expanding EV infrastructure but questioned whether the matter should move to committee now because it is not in the city's current transportation improvement plan or comprehensive plan. "I support the long term goal of expanding Evie in the city, but I do not feel that this item should go to committee at this time," Noguse said, noting there are "only 734 EVs registered to SeaTac households" as of the meeting and expressing concern about federal funding uncertainty for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
Councilmember Joe Finson and several other councilmembers said committee review is the appropriate next step to fully vet feasibility, costs and potential funding sources. Staff had estimated a feasibility study at roughly $50,000; other council members recalled a 2022 electric-fleet study cost of about $75,000. Several members said they would not support spending city funds on a study if it proved costly but were open to exploring partnerships and grant opportunities that could install chargers at no cost to the city.
Councilmember Peter Kwan and others noted that state or federal grant programs and nonprofit partners have installed chargers for some cities and said committee review should include those options and code updates. Councilmember Noguse suggested updating the SeaTac Municipal Code (chapter cited in the meeting as "15 4 3 0") or aligning with the RCW citation given in the discussion (spoken in the meeting as "RCW 19 27") to encourage EV-ready requirements in new developments so infrastructure can grow organically.
Why it matters: The committee will examine whether SeaTac should pursue grant-funded installations, update municipal code requirements for new development, or fund a citywide feasibility study. Councilmembers emphasized fiscal prudence given uncertainty around federal NEVI funding and the current number of registered EVs in the city.
What’s next: The CRF was referred to committee for detailed review of scope, cost estimates, funding sources and code implications; councilmembers requested that the committee evaluate grant opportunities and expected costs before any city-funded study or installation.
