1. Approve the APS Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Pilot Agreement #156299 for a New Location at the City of Flagstaff Visitor Center; and
2.  Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.

Staff is requesting approval of the updated APS Level 2 Vehicle Charging Pilot Agreement #156299 (Customer  Agreement), awarded as part of the APS Take Charge AZ Program, to install four electric vehicle (EV) charging sites (EVCS) at an alternate location – in the west side parking lot of the City of Flagstaff Visitor Center at 1 East Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.  
 

The original Customer Agreement #156299 was brought to Council for consideration on 1/19/2021, at which time the proposed location was at the Flagstaff Main Library, located at 300 W Aspen Ave. Two additional sites and Customer Agreements were also brought forward during the meeting on 1/19/2021, and Council gave approval for all three projects. 
 

After months of evaluation with City staff and with APS, it was determined that the Main Library would not be an eligible site for the APS Take Charge AZ Program. While it is uncertain exactly when the Rio de Flag (RDF) project will be working on the section near the Main Library, it is certain that this project will cause significant disruption to the same site in a relatively short time frame. This foreseeable disruption would require that the EVCS assets be de-energized and re-installed at significant costs. APS agreed to consider another site location under the already approved application #156299.  After weeks of consultation with City staff in multiple divisions, the City of Flagstaff Visitor Center site was selected as the preferred alternate site. 
 

These installations are part of Phase 2 of an APS pilot program, Take Charge AZ, to offer free EVCS to government agencies. APS will provide for the installation, electric infrastructure and maintenance of the chargers.  The City participated in Phase 1 of the Take Charge AZ program which included the installation of the four EVCS at City Hall that was completed in June 2020.  Portions of the first Phase 2 installation have also been completed, with 4 EVCS having gone online in September 2021.   
 

The Customer Agreement represents an exciting opportunity to continue to partner with APS, participate in the ongoing APS study of EV charging operations, and provide EV infrastructure to both the community and municipality at a significantly reduced cost to the City. 
 

The EVCS will be available for use by the public. 
 

Council approval for the associated easements at this location will be brought forward by the Real Estate Manager at a later date.  

There are four types of financial costs associated with the EV charging stations: 

• Electrical infrastructure upgrades: APS will be providing significant infrastructure support and upgrades at no cost to the City. 

• EV charging stations: The City and APS are sharing the cost of the EV charging stations, and the City’s obligation will include a one-time cost of $9,733.00 at each site. This fee covers the Charging Station units as well as the first year of Cloud service (see below).  The City has chosen to upgrade to networked EVCS, which are more appropriate for monitoring fleet vehicle use, collecting real-time data and facilitating use of the charging stations when appropriate.  Currently, the EVCS at City Hall are available to City employees and the public at no fee, however the networked EVCS will allow the City the flexibility to charge a fee in the future should that become the direction desired.   

• Networking fees: The City will pay networking fees of $1,120 annually at each location, to operate and monitor the charging stations.  

• Electricity use through the chargers: The City will pay for any electricity costs associated with using the chargers. The chargers will be metered separately and be placed on a time-of-use service plan to encourage use of the equipment when solar energy is abundant and energy prices are lower. In general, fueling an electric vehicle costs less than fueling a gasoline vehicle, representing overall cost savings for the City. 
  
  The funding for this project will be provided by Sustainability in the current fiscal year.

Yes. 

1. 11/20/2018: Council adopted the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan which includes goals and strategies to increase EV infrastructure and adoption. 
2. 8/27/2019: Council approved the Customer Agreement for the EVCS at City Hall, which was part of Phase 1 of the APS Take Charge AZ Program.
3. 6/23/2020: Council adopted the Climate Emergency Declaration Resolution which calls for an increase in urgency and action to dramatically reduce community emissions. 
4. 1/19/2021: Council approved of a Customer Agreement at another location. 
5. 6/15/2021: Council adopted the Carbon Neutrality Plan which includes goals and strategies to increase electric vehicle infrastructure and adoption.