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CONSIDERATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF A CONGESTION MITIGATION AND AIR QUALITY (CMAQ) GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $89,600 FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA GOVERNMENTS (ACOG) TO BE USED TO BUILD TWO (2) ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS LOCATED AT THE NORTH BASE COMPLEX, APPROVAL OF CONTRACT K-2021-92; AND BUDGET APPROPRIATION.
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BACKGROUND: On February 24, 2009, the City Council adopted the Norman Alternative Fuel Program (AFP), one of very few such municipal programs in Oklahoma. Since that time, the City has become a leader in alternative fuel technology in Oklahoma and the Midwest region.
On September 22, 2020 City Council approved Resolution R-2021-43 authorizing the City Manager or his designee to submit a grant application on behalf of the City of Norman to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality’s On-Road Program of the Volkswagen Settlement Trust for a 35-foot battery Electric Bus. On November 6, 2020 City staff was notified that the City’s application was successful and the City should expect to be awarded $450,000 for the $900,000 electric bus project (50% was the maximum that could be awarded for this type of project). This is pending final approval from the Volkswagen Settlement Trust, issuance of a Notice to Proceed, and execution of a Memorandum of Understanding. City staff anticipates those three steps to take place in the near future.
On October 1, 2020, the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) announced round one of the ACOG-administered Public Fleet Conversion Grant Program using Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2021 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds up to $350,000. CMAQ funds support transportation projects that reduce mobile source emissions. This grant program allows public sector fleets to access CMAQ funds to convert fleet equipment to clean fuel technologies, the acquisition of alternative fuel or hybrid vehicles, and/or the purchase and installation of alternative fuel vehicle refueling or recharging infrastructure. The grants are provided as a reimbursement once the proposed, awarded projects are completed.
On November 19, 2020, City Manager Pyle authorized a grant application to be submitted to ACOG requesting funds to be utilized to purchase and install two (2) new electric vehicle charging stations. The first charging station is proposed to be installed at the City’s new Transit Operations and Maintenance Facility to be used by the City’s first battery electric vehicle, a public transportation heavy duty bus, as mentioned above. The second charging station is proposed to be installed at the City’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Facility to be used by the public, future City electric vehicles, and as a backup for the transit electric bus.
DISCUSSION: On January 6, 2021, the Central Oklahoma Clean Cities Coordinator notified the City of Norman its application for funding had been selected for two (2) new electric vehicle charging stations in the amount of $89,600 of the total project cost of $218,000. The City of Norman ranked #1 out of the four projects awarded grant funds and received 36% of the $250,712 awarded. The other applicants in the order awarded grant funds are the City of Moore, City of Midwest City, and the Oklahoma Environmental Management Authority. The four projects were approved by the ACOG Intermodal Technical Transportation Committee (ITTC) on January 14 and the Intermodal Transportation Policy Committee (ITPC) on January 21.
Grant funding is provided by ACOG following the submission of a paid invoice. If approved, the two new charging stations would be purchased and installed when appropriate with the ongoing construction of the Transit Maintenance and Operations Facility, set to be completed in the summer of 2021.
If approved, this infrastructure improvement will provide the means to fuel the City’s first battery electric vehicle, a heavy duty transit bus, and a public option for electric vehicle charging.
RECOMMENDATION No. 1: It is recommended that the City Council accept the CMAQ funding from ACOG in the amount of $89,600 and it is further recommended that the Mayor be authorized to sign contract K-2021-92. Grant funds will be deposited into the Other Revenue/ACOG Fleet Conversion (225-33388), when received.
RECOMMENDATION No. 2: Appropriation of funds in the amount of $89,600 from Special Grants Fund Balance (22-29000) to Project BG0081, North Base EV Chargers, Construction (22590078-46101) to cover grant funding portion of project until reimbursement, is further requested.
Appropriation of funds in the amount of $128,400 from the Capital Fund Balance (Account 50-29000) to North Base EV Chargers, Construction (Account 50590078-46101; Project BG0081) for the required local match and bringing the total project funding to $218,000 is further requested.