FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING OF JUNE 18, 2024
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Interim City Manager Alex Posada
BY: Director of Public Works Brett Fulgoni
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing a Grant of Easement to P G&E, Transit Operations Maintenance Electric Infrastructure
Description:
The City Council will consider granting PG&E an easement onto the City’s Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility, located at 1303 Fairway Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93455, to support electric bus infrastructure
Environmental Notice: The activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15060(c)(3) no environmental review is required.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution authorizing an Easement Deed for a portion of City property located at the Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility for the work associated with the electric bus infrastructure project.
BACKGROUND:
The City owns the Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility located at 1303 Fairway Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93455. PG&E has requested that the City grant them an easement at this site as part of the work associated with the impending electric bus infrastruc ture project build out. The easement would allow PG&E the right to install, inspect, maintain, replace, or remove a power transformer that will be necessary to deliver power to the City’s electric bus chargers.
DISCUSSION:
In accordance with Air Resource Board mandates, the City’s Public Works Department, Transit Division, is in the process of transitioning its public transit fleet over to zero - emission battery electric buses. Subsequently , the Transit Division has begun coordination with construction contractor(s), electric vehicle (EV) charger vendor(s), and the City’s utility provider PG&E to ready the Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility to deploy the infrastructure needed to support battery-electric buses.
2 On September 20, 2022, the City of San ta Maria signed an agreement with PG&E to participate in their EV Fleet Ready Program. This program provides free behind, and to the meter, infrastructure upgrades, as well as cost reimbursement incentives for qualifying vehicles and equipment through thei r incentive program. Part of PG&E’s free work includes the installation of a new power transformer near the southern end of the property.
The easement requested by PG&E is necessary to support their work for “the right from time to time to construct, reconstruct, install, inspect, maintain, replace, remove, and use facilities of the type hereinafter specified, together with a right of way therefor, within the easement area.” The easement specifically requests “uniform width of 10 feet, lying 5 feet on each side of the alignment of the facilities” and ultimately represents a small footprint of the City’s facility.
Alternative(s)
City Council may choose to deny the request to grant easement. However, this alternative is not recommended as the denial will prohibit the installation of the necessary power transformer necessary to bring the electricity from the street into the City’s facility of which will support the EV charging infrastructure.
Fiscal Considerations
The grant easement will result in no cost to the City. And, as part of the City’s current participation in PG&E’s EV Fleet Ready Program, all work associated behind and up to the City’s Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility’s meter is covered under the provisions of this program.
Impact to the Community
There is no impact to the community and a minimal impact to the City’s Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility. The gra nt deed will result in PG&E gaining limited access to a square foot area. The subject area is located near the southern property line in an area already not utilized at the City’s Transit Operations & Maintenance Facility for parking or maintaining vehicles.
ATTACHMENTS
A. 35408189, EasePack, Rev. 1