Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Electric Vehicle Permitting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oakdale council adopts streamlined permitting ordinance for electric-vehicle chargers
Summary
The City of Oakdale unanimously approved an ordinance to add a streamlined, ministerial permitting process for electric-vehicle charging stations, including electronic submissions, posted checklists and statutory review timelines intended to comply with state law.
Oakdale — The City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance that establishes a streamlined permitting process for electric-vehicle charging stations, city staff said. The change adds a new chapter to the Oakdale Municipal Code to require an online checklist, electronic permit submission and ministerial review limited to health-and-safety compliance, staff said.
City staff explained the ordinance is intended to bring Oakdale into compliance with state laws referenced in the presentation (identified in the meeting as AB 1236 and AB 970) and related Government Code sections; staff said the rules create binding timelines for permit review and automatic approval if staff misses the statutory deadlines. “It ensures compliance with AB 1236, which was mandated in 2015, and AB 970, which was mandated in 2021,” staff said during the presentation. Staff also described single consolidated deficiency notices to prevent repeated rounds of comments and required posting of timelines and checklists on the city website so applicants can submit and sign online.
Council members asked whether the ordinance was required by state law and whether it applied only to commercial installations or also to residential charging. Staff responded that the statute requires streamlined processes for all jurisdictions and that the local procedure covers both residential and commercial installations, but that local zoning rules and land-use requirements still apply. “If somebody came in and wanted to build just an EV charging station center, it would have to match the zoning code of the city,” staff said.
After questions and brief discussion, the council moved and seconded approval of item 10.1. A roll-call vote recorded unanimous approval and the ordinance passed 5-0. Council members and staff said the fiscal impact is minimal, limited mainly to website updates and establishing administrative procedures.
The ordinance will be added to the municipal code and staff said they will post checklists and review timelines online so applicants can begin using the new process.
