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Larkspur Council directs staff to set EV charger rate at 42¢/kWh, approves overstay penalties and employee discount
Summary
The Larkspur City Council directed staff to begin charging 42¢ per kilowatt‑hour at city chargers at the Commons, delay a per‑session fee for six months while gathering usage data, set a provisional overstay penalty after a two‑hour grace period, and offer a 50% employee discount. Staff will return with a final resolution March 30.
Larkspur City Council members on March 18 directed staff to implement an energy‑based fee of 42¢ per kilowatt‑hour for city‑owned Level 2 electric‑vehicle chargers at the new Commons location and across the city’s network, while postponing a separate per‑session fee for six months to collect real‑world usage data.
City Manager Dan (staff presenter) told the council that the city currently operates three dual‑head posts (six charging heads) and is adding additional chargers at the Commons. He said converting to an EV pricing schedule and putting the library chargers on a separate meter will lower costs, but the city still faces license and administrative charges from its vendor. “For every hour that we sell 6.6 kilowatt hours of power at that machine, we’re paying roughly $3.72, and we’re getting 90¢ back,” the City Manager said, describing the existing subsidy.
Staff proposed a blended approach to pricing and recommended council guidance on three choices: the per‑kilowatt‑hour rate; whether to charge a per‑session administrative fee; and how to discourage long‑term parking at chargers. The presentation noted peer jurisdictions in Marin charging between about 25¢ and 45¢ per kWh; staff’s blended analysis landed near 36–38¢/kWh, and the report recommended starting at 42¢/kWh with a data‑driven review after several months.
Council members focused on turnover and equity. Several members urged a policy that maximizes public access and encourages daytime charging to align with renewable generation, while also acknowledging the council may subsidize charging to support adoption. The council provisionally agreed to waive any overstay penalties overnight to allow residents who need overnight charging to use stalls, but to enforce an overstay penalty during daytime hours to encourage turnover for daytime users.
After staff discussion and public comment urging user outreach, the council gave staff direction to: begin with a 42¢/kWh energy charge; skip implementing a per‑session fee for six months while staff collects metered data; adopt a provisional overstay penalty (the council discussed and converged on a 50¢ per minute charge after a two‑hour free period, to be applied during daytime hours); and offer a 50% discount for city employees as an internal benefit. Staff will return with a cleaned‑up resolution for formal approval at a special meeting March 30.
Public comment included users asking the city to engage charger users before finalizing fees and noting hardware differences (single‑head vs split‑head units) that affect charging speed and behavior. The council noted that some chargers are currently on business meters and that placing new chargers on an EV rate will change the cost picture.
Next steps: staff will finalize an ordinance/resolution reflecting the council’s direction, implement initial pricing on the new Commons chargers, collect usage and billing data for 3–6 months, and report back with refined costing and any recommended changes.
