Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget Grant Ev Trucks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears first reading of budget amendment to record state grant for EV trash trucks
Summary
At a Nov. 18 special meeting, Mount Rainier council received the first reading of Ordinance O6-2025, which records MDOT grant revenue and related budget transfers for electric trash trucks and a street sweeper. Staff described an 80/20 grant-match structure but acknowledged figures presented in the meeting were clarified afterward.
Mount Rainier city officials on Tuesday gave the first reading of Ordinance O6-2025, a budget amendment that records a Maryland Department of Transportation grant and related transfers to the FY2026 budget to purchase electric (EV) refuse trucks and a street sweeper.
The ordinance text, read by finance consultant Ron Wilson, lists revenue adjustments tied to MDOT and use-of-fund-balance amounts for public-works vehicle purchases. The reading shows a $627,500 grant revenue adjustment for EV trash trucks, a $185,087.07 use-of-fund-balance entry for trucks, and a $30,000 adjustment for a street sweeper, with matching expense-line entries for vehicle and equipment purchases.
City Manager Mister Kamali told the council the city had applied for and been approved for a state grant to support EV trucks, and described the award as an 80% state share with a 20% local match. "We were approved for ... $1,625,000," he said during the meeting, and added the city's 20% share would be about $370,000. Kamali noted the city had not yet signed the grant agreement and officials were awaiting the paperwork.
Councilmembers pressed staff for detail on how the switch to EV trucks would affect roads and operating costs. "EV tends to be much heavier vehicles," said Councilmember Jenny, asking whether heavier vehicles might accelerate pavement wear. Kamali responded that it was "too early to give you all the answers," and said the EV trucks would be similar in size and likely lighter than the diesel trucks they replace; he also said the state will require annual reporting on the project.
Later in the meeting staff and council members acknowledged some confusion about the totals. Ron Wilson and others explained that including charger-installation costs and other project components changed the total project cost and therefore the local share; at one point Ron said, "It should be 1.225 I believe," when clarifying the state portion.
Because this was a first reading, no adoption vote occurred. The ordinance remains on the council's track for a future action where staff expect to present the final grant agreement and a clear schedule for the city's match and budget adjustments.
What happens next: staff said they will circulate the grant agreement when received, provide updated project totals and a proposed schedule for paying the city's match, and return to the council for a subsequent vote on the ordinance.
