Laguna Beach council directs staff to pursue EV charging build‑out and seek SoCal Edison funding

Laguna Beach city staff told the City Council on March 11 that a phased plan to electrify the city fleet and install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure would reduce municipal greenhouse‑gas emissions but require an upfront capital investment.

Assistant City Engineer Frank Lopez said the team recommends infrastructure be built now to accommodate expected vehicle replacements over the next five years and to position the city to capture available incentives. "We're proposing a plan to build out the infrastructure for the next five years' worth of electric vehicle replacements through 02/1930," Lopez said, noting the presentation was prepared with consultant ICF.

ICF program manager Emma Sullivan said the city's inventory counts about 185 internal‑combustion vehicles and that a five‑year window would likely convert roughly 22 vehicles and require about 47 chargers at two primary locations (City Hall and the Courtyard). Sullivan presented an estimated total capital cost for vehicle acquisition, charging equipment and make‑ready electrical upgrades of roughly $18.78 million before incentives, with about $4 million of incentives estimated as attainable. She told the council the net, additional short‑term investment (after incentives) the staff is using for planning purposes is about $2.4 million.

Council members pressed staff on timing, grant dependence and whether the higher trolley costs skew the program. Michael, the city’s director of transit and community services, said a single manufacturer currently produces a trolley vehicle similar to Laguna Beach’s existing open‑air trolleys, which contributes to the high per‑vehicle cost. He confirmed the city has 25 trolleys, four of which have exceeded typical useful life, and said a small test purchase was the tentative approach.

Staff recommended directing city staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to select a contractor for EV charging construction, to continue pursuing the SoCal Edison Charge Ready Transport (CRT) application and to return to council with a funding plan. The staff presentation noted SoCal Edison’s CRT could reimburse substantial portions of make‑ready infrastructure costs and charging hardware in many cases.

Council members asked staff to refine the plan to reduce risk: phase purchases, evaluate leasing or contract‑operator procurement for trolleys, coordinate with other local agencies and integrate the charging design with planned facilities work to avoid needless reinstallation. Several council members also asked staff to return with a detailed funding plan tied to the city’s capital improvement program and to clarify any obligations under the Edison application (staff said the CRT agreement currently requires installation to be used for a 10‑year period and that signing the CRT agreement could obligate purchase of at least two EVs within 18 months).

After discussion, a council member moved and the council approved the staff recommendation to issue an RFP for EV charging construction, continue work on the Edison agreement and return with a funding plan. No individual roll‑call vote totals were recorded in the public portion of the transcript.

The council and staff agreed the near‑term priorities are (1) complete make‑ready upgrades and charger design so vehicles can be added later, (2) maximize available state and utility incentives, and (3) phase higher‑cost items such as trolleys to limit near‑term budget impact. Staff said they will return in April–May with procurement steps and a funding package for council review.