Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Manager
Subject: Board of Supervisors’ Response to the 2018-2019 Civil Grand Jury Report, “Electric Vehicle Adoption in the Cities and the County of San Mateo”
RECOMMENDATION:
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Approve the Board of Supervisors’ response to the 2018-2019 Civil Grand Jury Report, “Electric Vehicle Adoption in the Cities and the County of San Mateo.”
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BACKGROUND:
On August 12, 2019, the 2018-2019 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury issued a report titled “Electric Vehicle Adoption in the Cities and the County of San Mateo.” The Board of Supervisors is required to submit comments on the findings and recommendations pertaining to the matters over which it has some decision-making authority within 90 days. The Board’s response to the report is due to the Honorable Donald J. Ayoob no later than November 12, 2019.
DISCUSSION:
The Grand Jury made eleven findings and four recommendations in its report. The Board responses follow each finding and the three recommendations that the Grand Jury requested that the Board respond to within 90 days.
FINDINGS
Finding 1:
As of December 2018, eleven of the twenty cities in San Mateo County have no electric vehicles in their government fleets. These are:
• Atherton
• Belmont
• Colma
• Daly City
• East Palo Alto
• Half Moon Bay
• Hillsborough
• San Bruno
• San Carlos
• South San Francisco
• Woodside
Response:
Neither agree or disagree. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the fleet characteristics of the cities within the County.
Finding 2:
As of December 2018, in two of the twenty cities in San Mateo County approximately one percent of the city fleet are electric vehicles. These are:
• Burlingame
• Foster City
Response:
Neither agree or disagree. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the fleet characteristics of the cities within the County.
Finding 3:
As of December 2018, in three of the twenty cities in San Mateo County approximately three percent of the city fleet are electric vehicles. These are:
• Pacifica
• Redwood City
• San Mateo
Response:
Neither agree or disagree. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the fleet characteristics of the cities within the County.
Finding 4:
As of December 2018, in the City of Millbrae approximately seven percent of the city fleet is electric vehicles.
Response:
Neither agree or disagree. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the fleet characteristics of the cities within the County.
Finding 5:
As of December 2018, in two of the twenty cities in San Mateo County approximately ten percent of the city fleet are electric vehicles. These are:
• Brisbane
• Menlo Park
Response:
Neither agree or disagree. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the fleet characteristics of the cities within the County.
Finding 6:
As of December 2018, the Town of Portola Valley has converted two of its six city vehicles to electric vehicles, or approximately 33 percent.
Response:
Neither agree or disagree. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the fleet characteristics of the cities within the County.
Finding 7:
San Mateo County has 709 fleet vehicles. Of those, 218 are Enhanced AT PZEVs and two are ZEVs (approximately 31 percent).
Response:
Partially agree. Of the 709 fleet vehicles 216 are AT PZEVs and two are ZEVs.
Finding 8:
The County and eleven of the cities in the county have Climate Action Plans that discuss adoption of sustainable purchasing policies for converting their fleets to fuel efficient vehicles (hybrid, electric, alternative fuel). The cities are:
• Atherton
• Belmont
• Brisbane
• Burlingame
• East Palo Alto
• Foster City
• Menlo Park
• Pacifica
• Redwood City
• San Carlos
• San Mateo
Response:
Neither agree or disagree with regard to the cities. San Mateo County is an independent entity from the cities within the County and is unable to validate the contents of cities’ Climate Action Plans. Agree with regard to the County. The County’s Government Operations Climate Action Plan adopted in September of 2012 contains guidelines for the purchase of fuel efficient, low emission vehicles.
Finding 9:
San Mateo Office of Sustainability released a “Green Municipal Fleet Toolkit” in March of 2019. The purpose of this Toolkit is to assist jurisdictions on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their municipal fleets.
Response: Agree
Finding 10:
The San Mateo County Office of Sustainability technical support pilot program for municipal fleets, which is funded to assist up to four cities in converting their fleets to ZEVs, runs through December 2019.
Response: Agree
Finding 11:
The Climate Mayors EV Purchasing Collaborative is available to assist the cities and the County in conversion of fleet vehicles to ZEVs through aggregate purchasing.
Response: Agree
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation 1:
By March 31, 2020, the County of San Mateo and each city within the county should conduct a review of its government fleet procurement policy relating to electric vehicles and present a report at a public meeting. At a minimum, the review should be based on an analysis that includes up-to-date life-cycle costs of commercially available electric vehicles and an up-to-date assessment of whether electric vehicles can meet the performance needs of local jurisdictions for power, range, battery life, and other relevant factors. If an agency has completed such a review within the last three years, then such review should be presented to its governing body at a public meeting on or before December 31, 2019.
Response:
See Response to Finding 1 regarding cities within the County of San Mateo. The County itself is in the process of reviewing its capacity to perform the requested analysis. We expect to be able to initiate a study this fall with results of the analysis anticipated by March 31, 2020.
Recommendation 2:
By March 31, 2020, the County of San Mateo and each city within the county should conduct an analysis of the obstacles, if any, to the implementation of an EV government fleet procurement policy and present a report at a public meeting. This could include, for example, the availability of electric vehicle charging stations to serve the vehicle fleet and training of vehicle maintenance staff. If an agency has completed such an analysis within the last three years, then such analysis should be presented to its governing body at a public meeting on or before December 31, 2019.
Response:
See Response to Finding 1 regarding cities within the County of San Mateo. The recommendation has not yet been implemented at the County but is anticipated to be implemented by March 31, 2020.
Recommendation 3:
By September 30, 2019, the County of San Mateo Department of Public Works and each city within the county should review the “Roadmap for Municipal Green Fleets” toolkit from the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability, including the information on the possibility of adopting an EV First Policy.
Response:
See Response to Finding 1 regarding cities within the County of San Mateo. The recommendation has been implemented for County fleet operations. The Office of Sustainability and Department of Public Works coordinate on a regular basis on available funding opportunities for vehicles and chargers. The Department of Public Works received funding through this grant to purchase a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for Sheriff’s activities.
Recommendation 4:
By September 30, 2019, the County of San Mateo and each city within the county, if they have not already initiated such a process, should investigate joining the Climate Mayors EV Purchasing Collaborative to take advantage of aggregate purchasing.
Response:
See Response to Finding 1 regarding cities within the County of San Mateo. The recommendation will be implemented. Furthermore, the County will continue to explore all opportunities available regarding all future EV purchases at the lowest price, including the Mayors EV Purchasing Collaborative.