Chapter 17.10 — ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION REVIEW PROCESS

The purpose of this chapter is to establish an expedited permitting procedure for electric vehicle charging station systems to assist with timely and cost-effective installations.

(Ord. No. 2023-1529, § 2(Att. A), 2-28-2023)

The following definitions shall govern all terms of this chapter and shall supersede any term otherwise defined in this chapter:

Electronic Submittal means the utilization of one or more of the following:

Electronic mail or email;

The Internet.

Electric Vehicle Charging Station or Charging Station means any level of vehicle supply equipment station that is designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electrical Code, and delivers electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle.

(Ord. No. 2023-1529, § 2(Att. A), 2-28-2023)

(a)

All documents required for the submission of an expedited electric vehicle charging station application shall be made available on the city's Internet website.

(b)

Electronic submittal of the required permit application and documents by email shall be made available to all electric vehicle charging station permit applicants.

(c)

The electronic signature of an applicant, engineer, architect, or contractor shall be accepted on all forms, applications, and other documents in lieu of a wet signature.

(d)

The building safety division shall develop a checklist of all requirements that electric vehicle charging stations must comply with to be eligible for expedited review.

(Ord. No. 2023-1529, § 2(Att. A), 2-28-2023)

(a)

Applicant shall verify the electric vehicle charging station meets all applicable safety and performance standards established by the California Electrical Code, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability.

(b)

For a project complying with the checklist for an electric vehicle charging station the applicant may submit the permit application and associated documentation to the city's building safety division by personal, mailed, or electronic submittal.

(c)

An application that satisfies the information requirements in the checklist, as determined by the building official, shall be deemed complete. Upon receipt of an incomplete application, the building official shall issue a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance.

(1)

Review of the application to install an electric vehicle charging station shall be limited to the building official's review of whether it meets all health and safety requirements of local, state, and federal law. Requirements imposed by the City shall be limited to those standards and regulations necessary to ensure that the electric vehicle charging station will not have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety. However, if the building official of the City makes a finding, based on substantial evidence, that the electric vehicle charging station could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety, the City may require the applicant to apply for a use permit.

(d)

Any conditions imposed on an application to install an electric vehicle charging station shall be designed to mitigate the specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety at the lowest cost possible.

(e)

Upon confirmation by the building official of the application and supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirement of the checklist, the building official shall administratively approve the application and issue all required permits or authorizations. Such approval shall not include any necessary approval or permission by a local utility provider to connect the electric vehicle charging station to the provider's electricity grid. The applicant is responsible for obtaining such approval or permission from the local utility provider.

(f)

If an electric vehicle charging station and any associated equipment interfere with, reduce, eliminate, or in any way affect the required parking spaces for existing uses, the City shall reduce the number of required parking spaces for the existing uses by the amount necessary to accommodate the electric vehicle charging station and any associated equipment.

(Ord. No. 2023-1529, § 2(Att. A), 2-28-2023)

The decision on an application by the building official may be appealed to the Planning Commission pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 20.545.010 of this Municipal Code, except that the decision of the Planning Commission relating to an appeal under this section 17.10.045 shall be the final determination of the City in the matter.

(Ord. No. 2023-1529, § 2(Att. A), 2-28-2023)