Recommendation to request Sustainable City Commission to prepare a report and recommendations on the current status, and opportunities for expansion, of the Electric Vehicle infrastructure in the City of Long Beach, and report back to Council within 120 days.
Communication for Mayor Garcia recommendation to request the Sustainable Sustainable City Commission to prepare a report on the current status and opportunities for expansion of the electric vehicle infrastructure. Thank you. What we're basically asking for today is. I'd like to request that the cities the Cities Sustainability Commission, look at our electric vehicle infrastructure policy, as well as provide recommendations in the next few months on how we strengthen that. Right now, the city over the last few years has actually done some work on every policy. There are about 50 between 50 and 55, actually public electric vehicle stations throughout the city. And the city currently follows a state mandate as far as what our EV policy is. And there's been a couple of us, including, I think Vice Mayor Lowenthal, myself and a few others who have been involved in doing this work over the last few years. However, in talking to our development services plan planning staff, there are a lot of opportunities still where the city can strengthen our current electric vehicle policy. I mean, that ranges from strengthening our policy when it comes to private commercial, lots looking at retail, lots that are being developed, the new buildings, we can exceed the state, the state mandate. We also have a lot of work to do when it comes to our beach, lots and lots at our at our parks. And also looking at looking at ways that we can actually look at our current building code and increase the current three, the current 3% percentage. There's been a lot of also question about the fees. I hope the commission can also look at that and what we're actually both charging and being charged by our partners. And so this is just really an opportunity for the commission to come back to us and to strengthen our current policy as it's laid out. And I think it's time considering that our our actual vehicle drivers are growing. In fact, there are a few on this council. The infrastructure needs to be, quite frankly, dramatically improved across the city and across the county. And it's time for us to take take the lead on that. And so if I can have your your support and we'll hear some great, I think, recommendations over the course of the next few months. With that, there's a motion by Vice Mayor Lowenthal and Councilmember Austin. I'm gonna turn this over to Vice Mayor Lowenthal. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I wanted to just thank you for bringing this item forward and believe that it's something that the Sustainability Commission has considered before, and I think they'll be very excited to take this on. Thank you. Thank you, Councilman Austin. I support and encourage our colleagues to do the same. Councilmember Supernova. I was a charter member of the Sustainable City Commission and served two separate terms as chair. So I was asked the question about the procedure of this item. And so I would like to ask the city attorney because I think I know how it goes, but I'll let him give the full story. This is an idea that is starting with council and it is going to the Sustainable City Commission to be vetted and then come back to council. And is that as simple as it is? Mr. Green. That's correct. I think it comes from a supernova. Councilwoman Pryce. Thank you. I want to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for bringing this forward. I do drive an electric vehicle, and I think there's definitely some opportunity for growth in this area for a city of our size. So thank you for bringing this forward. And I look forward to seeing the data when it's returned to us. Thank you. Thank you. And Councilman Andrew. Thank you, Mayor. I think it's an excellent, you know, a forward thinking for my mayor. And I also support our aviation. And I would like to learn, you know, how this can bring an additional revenue to the city of Long Beach. And, you know, can we make sure that this is in the report as well? Absolutely. Thank you very much. Any public comment on the item, please? Good evening, Mayor Garcia, Vice. Mayor Lowenthal and council member my name is Nicholas Zarate. I live in the second district and I'm I'm a. TV journalist, basically. So sort of here to report. The industry is really booming right now. There are lots of people I'm talking to. They would love to come in here and do all sorts of things. Lou, you're right. We have about four times as much as charges as we had a few years ago. We need a heck of a lot more, but we also need electric car sharing programs and bicycle programs and everything. I'm in talks with a lot of people and a lot of companies want to come out and try it out. So far I've seen them going other in other cities and I would love to see them over here a little bit more. Plus. I'd love to be able to cover stories. Right here instead of having to fly traffic from L.A. and Orange County. So I really hope it goes forward. And also, I'd like to. Share all of my resources, my help, if that helps, because I really believe in it. So hopefully that's good enough. Thank you. Thank you. And I would encourage you to when the commission starts actually hearing the issue, I would encourage you to attend their meetings and to give your input. That would be very helpful to them actually. Any other public comment on the item? Casey nine members, please. Gordon, cast your vote. Motion carries. Thank you. Next item, please.