Committee holds EV charging ordinance after lengthy questions about costs, contracts and oversight

The City of Cleveland Utilities Committee on Thursday considered Ordinance 13292024, a measure that would authorize the Department of Public Works, on behalf of the Office of Sustainability, to manage city-owned electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, enter into contracts for purchase and maintenance, and set user fees. After extended questioning about ownership, vendor roles, costs and operational responsibility, the committee voted to hold the ordinance for further interdepartmental discussion.

Assistant Director Matt Reganjek of the Finance Department and the director of sustainability described the current and planned charging network. Committee members were told the city would own five charging stations across four locations: Canal Basin (two stations, two ports each), Frederick Douglass Recreation Center (one station, two ports), and two NOACA-funded stations at Willard Garage and Westside Market expected to be installed in the first quarter. The director said three chargers are installed and two remain to be installed by NOACA.

The director told the committee the stations are “all powered by CPP” (Cleveland Public Power) and described a proposed user-fee range of about 20¢ to 40¢ per kilowatt-hour, with staff using 25¢/kWh as a planning assumption. The director said the city’s electricity cost assumption was roughly 25¢/kWh in the model and that CPP’s current internal charge is about 17¢/kWh (the director said she would confirm the CPP rate with the CPP commissioner). The committee heard that charging-station all-in purchase costs are roughly $12,000 per station in the staff’s estimate, though council members questioned that figure and asked for more precise, documented cost breakdowns.

Frederick Douglass Recreation Center’s charging station has been active as a pilot since installation (the director said it has been in use since late 2023). Staff provided usage data: roughly 32,500 kilowatt-hours used during 2024 and 4,430 kWh used in December 2024; December charging activity generated about $708 in electricity use (the director said the city had not collected fees from users at that site because the fee mechanism was not yet activated). The director explained that the proposed fee would cover electricity costs, operations and maintenance, and a reserve for future upgrades; staff proposed that revenue would be deposited to fund SF 980 and then disbursed to make departments whole and pay upgrade costs.

Council members sought specifics on many points: who procures and pays for installation and upgrades, whether NOACA or the city purchases the equipment, estimated annual maintenance contract costs, what happens if stations are vandalized, and how the vendor selected to manage operations would be constrained to return electricity and upgrade costs to the city. The director and public-works staff said NOACA is purchasing two stations on the city’s behalf, the city owns installed stations, and the proposed ordinance’s language is intended to authorize the Department of Public Works to use cooperative purchasing or procure vendors to maintain and operate equipment.

Council members also asked whether Cleveland Public Power (CPP) could operate city charging stations directly to reduce contracting complexity; staff said those conversations are ongoing. Several members expressed concern that the ordinance’s lengthy amendments — including renumbering and new procurement authority — were not circulated in advance and added confusion. After discussion, the chair said he would convene an interdepartmental meeting with the director of sustainability, Department of Public Works, Cleveland Public Power, Department of Recreation and the chief of police (to discuss enforcement and vandalism risks) and return the item later. The committee held Ordinance 13292024 pending that meeting and additional information.

Why it matters: The ordinance would establish the city’s framework for operating publicly owned EV charging infrastructure, determining whether the city recoups electricity and maintenance costs through user fees and how long-term upgrades will be funded. Committee members requested clearer contracts, documented cost estimates, confirmation of CPP electricity rates, and a procurement plan that ensures vendors cannot capture all incremental revenue before city and site owners are made whole.

Additional details: Staff said two Canal Basin stations are installed but not yet activated; Frederick Douglass has been available to residents and used as a pilot without user fees; the estimated all-in purchase cost per station is about $12,000; staff reported a range of proposed user fees and a planning assumption of 25¢/kWh. The committee requested detailed cost and contract information and convened a follow-up meeting with relevant departments before advancing the ordinance.