SR 11-28-2023 5F
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: November 28, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.F
1 of 7
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Office of Sustainability & the
Environment
Subject: Award Contract to GreenWealth for the Installation, Operation, and
Maintenance of Designated Public Electric Vehicle Chargers
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing
Facilities), Section 15302 (Replacement/Reconstruction), and Section 15303
(New Construction of Small Structures) of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Award RFP #372 to GreenWealth Energy Solutions, Inc. for the installation,
operation, and maintenance of designated public Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers
for the Public Works Department.
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
GreenWealth Energy Solutions, Inc. for five years with three two-year renewal
options at no cost to the City.
Summary
Supporting the shift to transportation electrification is a critical component of the City of
Santa Monica’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan and EV Action Plan. The City has
been a leader in installing public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations since the 1990s.
As EV adoption increased, so has the demand for EV charging options and reliable
infrastructure. The City has historically owned and operated its own EV chargers, but a
shifting market and increase in EV charging service providers now allows the City to
outsource the installation, operations, and maintenance of public chargers to a third-
party at no cost to the City. This option saves staff time and money and improves the
public charging experience for EV drivers. This staff report proposes contracting with a
5.F
Packet Pg. 249
2 of 7
new vendor, GreenWealth Energy Solutions, to replace old chargers at three priority
parking facilities and install and operate new chargers, as requested by the City.
Discussion
The State of California has a goal of reaching 5 million zero emission vehicles on the
road by 2030. By 2035, 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in the state are required
to be zero-emissions vehicles. Expanding public EV charging options is critical to
supporting the rapidly growing EV adoption rates.
City Council adopted the EV Action Plan in 2017 to support EV adoption through
policies, programs, and infrastructure projects that expand EV charging access. Santa
Monica currently has 178 standard level 2 chargers that are owned and operated by the
City, and 28 DC fast chargers that are owned and operated by EVgo.
• Level 2 chargers are the standard chargers found at most retail, workplace, and
residential properties. They use a 240-volt outlet and typically provide about 14-
35 miles of range per hour of charging time depending on the charger
configuration and the EV’s capacity to accept the charge.
• DC fast chargers use a 480-volt outlet and charge at much faster rates, typically
between 180-240 miles of range per hour depending on the charger configuration
and vehicle capacity.
The City entered into a contract with ChargePoint Inc. to purchase EV charging
equipment in 2018. The City coordinates the installation, operations, and maintenance
of these chargers and retains revenues earned at these stations. As the number of
chargers and utilization rates have increased, so have maintenance costs and time to
repair broken stations. Bringing on a third-party to manage and operate new stations
would benefit both the City and EV drivers that count on EV chargers to be working. The
City would save money on the capital costs of installing the equipment and would no
longer have to pay for operating costs under the new model. GreenWealth would
provide level 2 ChargePoint EV chargers, similar to the existing chargers found at other
City parking facilities.
5.F
Packet Pg. 250
3 of 7
GreenWealth would be responsible for replacing a minimum of 49 old charge ports at
three parking structures (Structure 6, 9, and the Civic Structure), replacing or repairing
additional chargers that break in the future at various City locations and installing
chargers at new sites identified by the City in collaboration with the vendor, including
three parking lots at the Santa Monica Airport. They would install chargers at mutually
agreed upon City locations at no cost to the City, cover electricity costs, and retain the
majority of charging revenue. GreenWealth would remit 20% of charging profits to the
City after operational costs are met. The City may also elect to transfer ownership and
operations of existing City-owned chargers for GreenWealth to maintain.
GreenWealth would prioritize the replacement of existing chargers, many of which are
broken, at the three sites listed below in Table 1. The stations at these locations are old,
non-networked chargers (not ChargePoint stations) that are unable to collect revenue or
provide usage data to monitor station status.
5.F
Packet Pg. 251
4 of 7
Table 1 – Priority Sites – EV Charger Replacements
Site Address
Existing
Chargers
(ports)
Future Chargers
Parking Structure 6 1431 2nd St. 30 50-60 (Level 2)
Parking Structure 9 1136 4th St. 4 4-10 (Level 2)
Civic Center Parking
Structure (first floor) 330 Olympic Dr. 15 14+ Level 2, 1 high-
powered L2
Total 49
Parking Structure 6 was built with extra conduit to support future EV charging.
GreenWealth would add up to 30 additional chargers at this location by using existing
conduit and electrical capacity via load management. This would significantly increase
charging options for the many local employees, residents, and visitors that utilize this
structure. The vendor would replace other chargers as they break and add new stations
at future EV charging sites, including a total of 24 new chargers at three Santa Monica
Airport parking lots (2828 Donald Douglas Loop North, 3233 Donald Douglas Loop
South, and 3200 Airport Ave). Drivers would be notified of pending construction at the
parking structures in advance.
EV charging user fees at GreenWealth-operated chargers would be based on regional
user fees and electricity rates; proposed fees are around $0.35/kWh-$0.49/kWh on a
time-of-use rate structure and are subject to change based on electricity rates set by the
Clean Power Alliance and Southern California Edison. User fees are currently
$0.30/kWh-$0.35/kWh at City-owned chargers. GreenWealth would review proposed
fee structures with the City annually to ensure pricing is reasonable and calibrated to
current market conditions and electricity rates. Electricity costs are anticipated to
increase by approximately $16,000 per year at Parking Structure 6 and approximately
$17,000 per year at Parking Structure 9 due to the planned additional EV chargers.
Estimated annual costs for the three new Airport sites is $54,000. GreenWealth would
reimburse the City for electricity costs incurred by their EV chargers at all locations.
5.F
Packet Pg. 252
5 of 7
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified
Person/Firm
GreenWealth Energy Solutions, LLC
Evaluation
Criteria
Work plans, experience, capacity/ability to perform services
promptly, technical capabilities, financial/other resources,
character/reputation, ability to provide future services as needed and
price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
8/16/2023 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
63 9/26/2023
Justification to Award
An evaluation committee comprised of members of the Office of Sustainability and the
Environment and Architectural Services within the Public Works Department and the EV
Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Commission on Sustainability, evaluated the
proposals. Based on their experience with similar projects, thorough project plan, profit-
sharing proposal, and commitment to high-quality customer service, staff recommends
GreenWealth Energy Solutions, Inc. as the best qualified firm to provide EV charging
installation, operations, and maintenance services at select City sites.
Environmental Review
The contract is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301, Section
15302, and Section 15303 of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15301 exempts Class 1
(Existing Facilities) projects from CEQA, which include the operation, repair,
maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or
private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving
negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Section 15302 exempts Class 2
RFPs Received
Blink Network, LLC Green Water and
Power
EV Tech Inc. True Upside
Casco Contractors GreenWealth Energy
Solutions, Inc.
PowerFlex Systems,
LLC
EV Gateway OBE Networks 1, LLC Smart eMobility
5.F
Packet Pg. 253
6 of 7
projects (Replacement/Reconstruction) which “consists of replacement or reconstruction
of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same
site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity
as the structure replaced”. The contract will allow for the replacement and maintenance
of existing EV chargers. In addition, the installation of new EV chargers is categorically
exempt pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction of Small Structures), which
exempts construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or
structures including utility extensions and accessory structures/facilities such as EV
chargers.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
07/25/17 (Attachment A) Original bid and award of agreement with ChargePoint,
Inc. for EV charger procurement
11/14/17 (Attachment B) Council adopted EV Action Plan
03/06/18 (Attachment C) Modification to agreement with ChargePoint to expand
procurement and services from fleet-only to public
chargers
09/10/19 (Attachment D) Original bid and award of agreement with EVgo Services
LLC for DC fast charging installation and services
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to enter into an agreement with Greenwealth Energy Solutions
LLC to provide EV charging installation, operations, and maintenance at select City
sites. The recommended action in this report is expected to have a positive impact to
the General Fund and eventually the Airport Fund since the electricity costs will be
reimbursed by GreenWealth. The reimbursement and profit-sharing revenues for the
General Fund will be deposited in accounts 01500002.416300 and 01500002.416301,
and for the Airport Fund in 57500001.416302 and 57500001.416303, respectively.
The timing and amount of the revenues to be received and the electricity expenses to
be incurred are indeterminate at this time. The department will track and monitor both
the revenues and the expenditures closely. Any budget adjustments would be
5.F
Packet Pg. 254
7 of 7
incorporated in the FY 2023-24 Year-End Budget and FY 2024-25 Exception-Based
Budget, as needed.
Prepared By: Ariana Vito, Sustainability Analyst
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Staff Report: Original ChargePoint Agreement (Web Link)
B. EV Action Plan (Web Link)
C. Staff Report: ChargePoint Agreement Modification (Web Link)
D. Staff Report: EVgo Agreement (Web Link)
E. Oaks Initiative Form - GreenWealth
5.F
Packet Pg. 255
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE NOTICE
NOTICE TO APPLICANTS, BIDDERS, PROPOSERS
AND OTHERS SEEKING DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, CONTRACTS,
OR OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica’s voters adopted a City Charter amendment commonly known as
the Oaks Initiative. The Oaks Initiative requires the City to provide this notice and
information about the Initiative’s requirements. You may obtain a full copy of the Initiative’s
text from the City Clerk.
This information is required by City Charter Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection. It
prohibits a public off icial from receiving, and a person or entity from conferring, specified
personal benef its or campaign advantages from a person or entity after the official votes,
or otherwise takes official action, to award a “public benefit” to that person or entity. The
prohibition applies within and outside of the geographical boundaries of Santa Monica.
All persons or entities applying or receiving public benefits from the City of Santa
Monica shall provide the names of trustees, directors, partners, and officers, and names
of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation or revenue interest. An exception
exists f or persons serving in those capacities as volunteers, without compensation, for
organizations exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3), (4), or (6), of the
Internal Revenue Code. However, this exception does not apply if the organization is a
political committee or controls political committees. Examples of a “public benefit” include
public contracts to provide goods or services worth more than $25,000 or a land use
approval worth more than $25,000 over a 12-month period.
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an
entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person
who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent
interest in the entity. Therefore, if you are seeking a “public benefit” covered by the Oaks
Initiative, you must supply that information on the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form. This
inf ormation must be updated and supplied every 12 months.
5.F.e
Packet Pg. 256 Attachment: Oaks Initiative Form - GreenWealth (6071 : Award Contract to GreenWealth for EV Charger Services)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benef its include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
5.F.e
Packet Pg. 257 Attachment: Oaks Initiative Form - GreenWealth (6071 : Award Contract to GreenWealth for EV Charger Services)