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Park Ridge council weighs joining EV Readiness Program as public charging access lags
Summary
Council members heard a presentation from Sustainability Commission volunteers about the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus EV Readiness Program, were told Park Ridge has roughly 1 publicly accessible EV charging port per 10,000 residents, and asked staff to analyze time and costs ahead of a June 15 letter-of-interest deadline.
Members of the Park Ridge City Council spent the bulk of their April 20 meeting hearing from the Sustainability Commission about the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus EV Readiness Program and whether the city should apply for the next cohort.
Kevin Roose, a member of the Sustainability Commission, told the council the six-month cohort offers technical assistance across 11–12 biweekly sessions on zoning, permitting, inspections, outreach and infrastructure. “It’s a six-month program with about 11 to 12 biweekly meetings,” Roose said. “There’s not an initial financial investment required, but there is a staff time commitment.”
Roose and Chris Arwaite said the commission’s memo shows Park Ridge has fallen behind neighboring municipalities on access to public chargers. Roose summarized the local inventory: “Our memo says 1.5 charging ports per 10,000 residents, but that’s down to one now because the two ports at Whole Foods were removed. All we have right now are the four charging ports recently installed at the Oakton Sports Complex.”
Council members sought clarification about what participation would require. Mayor Marty Maloney asked whether applying effectively guarantees entry; Roose said the caucus reviews applications and that acceptance is not automatic. The presenters said the caucus considers equity and other factors when selecting cohorts.
Several council members said they supported pursuing more information before committing. Councilmember Joseph (last name not specified in the record) said he would favor participation but asked staff for an analysis of hours and downstream costs; the City Manager said the item is not in the 2026 work plan and staff would need to determine whether the workload could be absorbed.
Roose urged the council to note the program’s timeline: the letter of interest for the next cohort is due June 15. Council members instructed staff to research the likely staff commitment, inquire about past cohort acceptance rates, and report back so the council can decide whether to submit an application.
The discussion emphasized that the EV Readiness Program is primarily technical assistance rather than a grant that provides capital funds; presenters and staff said additional funding would be needed to expand charger installation beyond planning and policy changes. The presenters also noted state law changes that affect new construction and EV readiness, referencing the Electric Vehicle Charging Act adopted at the state level.
Next steps: staff will prepare a short analysis of expected staff hours, likely costs, and the city’s current charging inventory and report to council in the coming weeks so members can decide whether to apply by the June 15 deadline.
