REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 06, 2024
FROM
DON DAY, Director, Project and Facilities Management Department
SUBJECT
Title
Grant Application to the United States Department of Transportation for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Opportunity
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve and authorize the electronic submission of a grant application to the United States Department of Transportation, in the amount of $6,294,072, for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Opportunity, to implement the Countywide Electric Vehicles Charging Stations and Infrastructure Project.
2. Authorize the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Chief Executive Officer, or the Director of the Project and Facilities Management Department to electronically execute and submit the grant application, any non-substantive amendments, and all documents required for the grant application, on behalf of the County, subject to review by County Counsel
3. Direct the Director of the Project and Facilities Management Department to transmit the grant application and all non-substantive amendments to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of execution.
(Presenter: Don Day, Director, 387-5000)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Promote the Countywide Vision.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will require Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Pursuant to the grant terms, the County is required to provide a local match of at least 20% of total project allowable cost. The total estimated cost for the Countywide Electric Vehicles Charging Stations and Infrastructure Project (Project) is $6,294,072. The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Opportunity Program (Program) is a cost reimbursement grant administered by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and will determine the allowable costs during the application review process.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On July 25, 2023 (Item No. 38), the County approved Contract No. 23-780 with Anser Advisory Consulting, LLC to analyze various locations throughout the county for the Electric Vehicle Charging Initiative Project (WBSE 10.10.1412). Based on the analysis provided, they included charging rate analysis, identified site specific infrastructure and requirements, cost estimates, utility purveyor, and grant/program rebate identification support where the USDOT for the CFI Program grant opportunity was identified.
The CFI Program is a cost reimbursement discretionary grant program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by USDOT, with $5 billion in appropriated funds over the next five years. Funding from this program is provided to encourage and support planning, deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure, fuel corridors or in certain other locations within communities that will be accessible to all drivers of electric vehicles.
On May 30, 2024, the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the USDOT CFI Program grant opportunity was released. The NOFO provides two types of grants:
1) Community Charging and Fueling Program Grants (Community Program) require publicly accessible infrastructure, such as on public roads or in parking facilities at public buildings, schools, parks, or those managed by private entities, must meet certain criteria. The infrastructure must be accessible to the public and may involve contracts with private entities. Award amounts range from a minimum of $500,000 to a maximum of $15 million. Projects must show that benefits will reach disadvantaged communities impacted by underinvestment and pollution, aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and expand or improve access to public infrastructure. Additionally, the infrastructure must be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
2) Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program) require deploying a charging and alternative fueling infrastructure, where electric vehicle (EV) charging and other alternative fuel facilities must be located within five miles of the designated Alternative Fuel Corridor and publicly accessible. The minimum award amount is $1 million, with no maximum limit. Funds must be used to contract with private entities, and projects must demonstrate that benefits will reach disadvantaged communities impacted by underinvestment and pollution. Additionally, the infrastructure must be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
The CFI Program provides eligibility and basis for grant funding under the Community Program criteria for implementation of EV charging. Because the CFI Program is a competitive grant program, submission of an application is not a guarantee of funding. The terms included in the grant application require a local match and therefore pursuant to County Policy 05-13 Board of Supervisors (Board) approval is required to submit the grant application. If the application is successful, the Project and Facilities Management Department will present an agenda item to the Board to accept the grant funds.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Julie Surber, Principal Assistant County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 18, 2024; Purchasing (Ariel Gil, Supervising Buyer 387-2070) on July 19, 2024; Project and Facilities Management (Don Day, Director, 387-5000) on July 22, 2024; Finance (Garrett Baker, Administrative Analyst, 387-3077, and Yael Verduzco, Principal Administrative Analyst, 387-5285) on July 22, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Valerie Clay, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on July 23, 2024.