City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2025-00994 6/10/2025 Item 6.
Resolution to Repeal Resolution No. 2000-0646 and Establishing a Monthly Electric Vehicle Parking Discount for Qualifying Low-Income Customers
File ID: 2025-00994
Location: District 4
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution: 1) Repealing Resolution No. 2000-0646 effective July 1, 2025; and 2) Establishing a monthly parking discount for customers with electric vehicles who qualify as low-income under specific federal and state criteria; 3) Updating the City’s Fee & Charge Report to reflect a 50% monthly parking discount for electric vehicle accounts with qualifying household income criteria.
Contact: Staci Hovermale, Parking Manager (916) 808-5047, [email protected], Department of Public Works
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
3-Resolution No. 2000-0646
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The City of Sacramento was a pioneer in promoting electric vehicles (EVs), implementing many programs and strategies for more than 30 years. As part of a citywide green initiative, the City offered a free monthly EV parking program in all City-owned garages for City staff in 1994 under Resolution No. 1994-0199. By the next year, Resolution 1995-0634 extended this free parking benefit to all EV monthly parking customers.
As EV use gradually increased, Resolution No. 1998-0274 amended this program to convert the free parking benefit to a 50% discount when EV transactions exceeded 5% of the total garage transactions. Resolution No. 2000-0646 later added an amendment to limit the free monthly parking benefit only to EVs registered to small businesses and individuals because the majority of monthly EV accounts by this time were registered to government entities and corporate fleets.
File ID: 2025-00994 6/10/2025 Item 6.
The transactions from these larger accounts caused the number of EV transactions to advance quickly towards the 5% threshold, which was to the detriment of small businesses and individual account holders who would then lose financial benefits in the early adoption of the program.
By 2014, the number of EV transactions in each City garage exceeded 5% of their respective garage transactions. The 50% monthly rate was then initiated on all monthly EV accounts at each garage and has continued since.
As EVs have become more widely accepted and with many vehicle models available, City garages have experienced an increase in demand for available EV charging stations and the expectation is this trend will continue as Governor Newsom’s Executive Order (N-79-20) for 2035 will affect the rate of EV ownership for the next 10 years.
Despite increases in sales, the rate of EVs sold to low-income households has not significantly improved due to barriers to access and costs. The State of California continues to prioritize deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure near low-income, rural, and multifamily communities in conjunction with promoting various incentives and informational programs.
In support of the State’s goals, staff recommend approval to repeal Resolution No. 2000- 0646 and establish a resolution to limit the 50% monthly discount to participants who submit evidence of household income levels at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level or to recipients of public benefits identified under Government Code section 68632(a). Monthly parking customers who do not qualify for this discount will be assessed the full monthly rate of their designated garage.
Thirty-one years after the program’s inception, efforts at both the state and local level have resulted in the program’s goal to support increased EV ownership and, with EV ownership on the rise, to eventually represent the majority of vehicles parked in City garages.
However, to encourage ownership amongst low-income households, the City of Sacramento will continue to offer this discount to eligible monthly parking customers.
Policy Considerations: The proposed actions herein are consistent with the City of Sacramento’s 1994 initiative to promote EV ownership through financial incentive programs. EV ownership in Sacramento now comprises over a quarter of all new car sales with increases expected by 2035 to align with Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-79-20 (ZEV Market Development Strategy).
Economic Impacts: None.
File ID: 2025-00994 6/10/2025 Item 6.
Environmental Considerations: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): This ordinance is not subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the general rule (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)) that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.
Sustainability: This action supports the City of Sacramento’s sustainability goals to improve and optimize the transportation infrastructure.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: The primary initiative of the City’s EV monthly parking program was to promote EV ownership amongst users of the City’s parking system. Over the last thirty-one years, the Sacramento region has experienced an increase in EV charging stations, financial incentives to spur purchases of new and used EVs, and increased demand for available charging stations in City-owned garages.
In 2020, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-79-20 to set zero-emission policies to provide that zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) will comprise 100% of all new car sales and off-road vehicles and equipment in California by 2035, and 100% of medium and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045.
According to a January 2025 report by the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association, ZEV represented
25.5% of the 30,244 vehicle sales in the Sacramento region during Q3 in 2024. The report also confirmed that used EVs are more accessible and affordable than in past years, and new EV leases are double the automotive industry average. EV ownership is expected to increase with Governor Newsom’s Executive Order, which may eventually result in EVs representing a majority of all vehicles in City garages. However, the cost of EV ownership and access to chargers continues to be a deterrent to low-income households and ongoing efforts to create or improve access should continue.
Financial Considerations: Fees collected from monthly parking programs in City garages are deposited into the Parking Enterprise Fund (Fund 6004) for Off-street Parking.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
RESOLUTION 2025-
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
June 10, 2025
Approving a Resolution to Repeal Resolution No. 2000-0646 and Establishing a Resolution for a Monthly Electric Vehicle Parking Discount for Qualifying Low-Income Customers
BACKGROUND
A. In 1994, i n an effort to promote electric vehicle (EV) use amongst City of Sacramento employees, the City Council passed Resolution No. 1994-0199 to provide free monthly parking to all City employees with electric vehicles in City-owned garages. Additionally, the City collaborated with local automobile dealerships to offer l ow-cost electric vehicle lease deals to City employees and initiated conversion of City fleets to electric vehicles.
B. By 1995, City Council adopted Resolution No. 1995-0634 to extend the free parking benefit to all monthly electric vehicle customers.
C. In 1998, the City Council adopted resolution 1998-0274 amending the City’s electric vehicle parking policy to continue free parking with the caveat that accounts will be charged a monthly rate equal to 50% of the monthly garage rate when EV transactions exceeded 5% of total garage transactions.
D. By 2000, the majorit y of EV monthly accounts comprised of government entities and corporate fleets which caused the number of EV transactions in garages to come closer to 5% of all garage transactions. Resolution No. 2000-0646 was then adopted by City Council to limit the free parking benefit to small businesses or individuals with proof of a valid EV registration.
E. In 2014, the number of EV transactions in each City garage exceeded 5% of their respective garage transactions. The 50% monthly rate was then initiated on monthly EV accounts at each garage.
F. With the increase of EV ownership in the Sacramento region and steady rate of EV drivers who utilize City garages and charging systems, the City’s EV parking program goals have been met thirty-one years after its inception.
G. Increased awareness of the benefits of EV ownership, in conjunction with Governor Newsom’s Executive order N-79-20, will result in EVs becoming the majority of vehicles parked in City garages in the not-too-distant future. However, to encourage ownership amongst low-income households, the City of Sacramento will continue to offer this discount to eligible monthly parking customers.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.
Resolution No. 2000-0646 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 2.
The parking program for electric vehicles shall provide a discounted monthly parking rate of 50% off the City garage monthly rate for vehicles powered exclusively by electricity and owned or leased by private individuals who provide proof of a household income level at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, or proof of receipt of any public benefits identified under Government Code section 68632(a).
SECTION 3.
Existing electric vehicle monthly parking accounts established prior to June 30, 2025, will continue with the discount program until July 31, 2025. Effective August 1, 2025, the full monthly rate of the designated garage will be assessed for any existing account holders who do not meet the criteria described in Section 2, above.
SECTION 4.
The City Fee & Charge Report shall reflect the Monthly Electric Vehicle Rate at Memorial Garage, City Hall Garage, Capitol Garage, Old Sacramento Garage, and Tower Bridge Garage as 50% of monthly discount for individuals who meet the criteria described in Section 2, above.
SECTION 5.
The resolution for discounted monthly electric vehicle parking for qualified income levels shall be effective July 1, 2025.