City Council Agenda Report
October 21, 2025
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Jesus M. Gomez, City Manager
BY: Alex Hamilton, Interim Director of Community Development Faye Yuan, Building & Safety Manager
SUBJECT: ORDINANCE NO. 25-1760 - AMENDING TITLE 15 (BUILDINGS AND
CONSTRUCTION) OF THE NORWALK MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING WHICH SETS FORTH AN EXPEDITED,
STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE
CHARGING STATIONS.
Background:
Assembly Bill (AB) 1236, which amended Government Code Section 65850.7, requires jurisdictions with a population of less than 200,000 residents to establish procedures for expedited, streamlined processes for issuing permits for electric vehicle charging stations. The amendments to Section 65850.7 include the requirement for a jurisdiction to adopt an ordinance for the expedited and streamlined process. The ordinance shall include the requirement that a jurisdiction adopt a checklist of requirements with which a permit application for an electric vehicle charging station will be eligible for expedited review.
An electric vehicle charging station is any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station which deliver electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle. AB 1236 may refer to the recommendations in the most current version of the “Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist” of the “Zero-Emission Vehicles in California:
Community Readiness Guidebook” published by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
Under Ordinance No. 25-1760, compliance with the aforementioned requirements would include the establishment of Chapter 15.54 (Electric Vehicle Charging) as part of Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) of the Norwalk Municipal Code (“NMC”). Specifically, the following components would be added to the NMC:
City Council October 21, 2025
Ordinance No. 25-1760 Page No. 2
A checklist containing objective requirements for the installation of an electric vehicle charging station and a process for electronic submittal of permit applications. Content of the checklist - requires the permit applicants to check the features of the existing electrical service such as rating in amperes, system voltage, connected or calculated load, spare capacity in amperes, voltage and ampere rating of the electric vehicle supply equipment, circuit rating of the electric vehicle supply equipment, location of the electric vehicle supply equipment, if ventilation is/or is not required, and clearances of the charging equipment to comply with all applicable building and fire safety laws. The checklist also assists the applicant in confirming that the location of the electric vehicle supply equipment will comply with any vehicle clearance requirements in the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Section 65850.7 requires that the City’s checklist may be based on the “Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist” of the “Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook” of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
Further, AB 1236 also clarifies that a jurisdiction shall not condition approval of a permit for an electric vehicle charging station based on the approval of an association as defined in California Civil Code, Section 4080.
Most of the procedures, such as electronic submittal of plans are currently in place and comply with the requirements of the AB 1236 and staff is assuring that successful implementation of an expedited, streamlined process will be available to permit applicants. The adoption of Ordinance No. 25-1760 would bring the City into full compliance with AB 1236.
Concurrent with City Council’s adoption of the ordinance, staff, is taking measures to ensure compliance with AB 1236. The checklist prepared in coordination with the “Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist” from the Zero-Emission Vehicles in California:
Community Readiness Guidebook, has been made publicly available. The checklist incorporates provisions for electrical code compliance as well as standard fire prevention safety measures. In addition, Building and Safety staff are developing procedures to provide timely and thorough inspections of electric vehicle charging station installations.
Environmental Assessment:
The adoption of this ordinance is not a project under the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it has no potential to result in a physical change to the environment. This ordinance is exempt pursuant to Section 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines— actions by regulatory agencies for the protection of the environment—because it is a regulatory action taken by local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment.
Fiscal Impact:
N/A
City Council October 21, 2025
Ordinance No. 25-1760 Page No. 3
Citizens Advised:
The Notice of public hearing was published in The Norwalk Patriot on October 10, 2025, and posted at locations set forth in NMC Section 1.08.030 on October 9, 2025. As of the writing of this report, staff has not received any correspondence regarding the proposed project.
Strategic Plan 2023 Implementation:
The recommended actions will further the City’s Strategic Plan Goal 4: Support sustainability and climate resilience throughout the community; Objective 1: Protect and conserve natural resources; and Objective 2: Protect people by reducing the effects of pollution.
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
a.introduce by title only Ordinance No. 25-1760, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF NORWALK AMENDING TITLE 15 (BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION) OF THE
NORWALK MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING WHICH
SETS FORTH AN EXPEDITED, STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, waive further reading and schedule for adoption; and
b.consider and find the project exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15308.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 25-1760
2. EV Charging Station Checklist