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Home My WebLink AboutNS-2953 - Adding a New Article XVII to Chapter 8 of Santa Ana Municipal Code to Provide Expedited Streamlined Permitting Process for Electric Vehicle Charging StationsORDINANCE NO. NS -2953 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, ADDING A NEW ARTICLE XVII TO CHAPTER 8 OF THE SANTA ANA MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROVIDE AN EXPEDITED, STREAMLINED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Santa Ana seeks to implement Assembly Bill 1236 (Chapter 598, Statutes 2015) through the creation of an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging stations by all of its residents and businesses; and WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and businesses of the City to provide an expedited permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations to assure the effective deployment of electric vehicle charging stations technology, in accordance with the requirements of Assembly Bill 1236. NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY FOUND, DETERMINED, AND ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana, as follows: Section 1. Findings. The above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference. Section 2. Article XVII is added to Chapter 8 of the City of Santa Ana Municipal Code to read in its entirety as follows: "ARTICLE XVII. ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS" 8-2901 Applicability and Purpose 8-2902 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Requirements 8-2903 Duties of the Building Department 8-2904 Expedited Permit Review and Inspection Requirements Sec. 8-2901. Applicability and Purpose. This Article applies to the permitting of all electric vehicle charging stations in the City. Electric vehicle charging stations legally established or permitted prior to the Ordinance No. NS -2953 Page 1 of 5 effective date of this Article are not subject to the requirements of this Article unless physical modifications or alterations are undertaken that materially change the size, type, or components of the electric vehicle charging station in such a way as to require new permitting. Routine operation and maintenance or like -kind replacements shall not require a permit. Sec. 8-2902. Electric Vehicle Charging Station Requirements. (a) "Electric vehicle charging station" or "charging station" means all of the following: (1) Any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station; (2) Is designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electrical Code; (3) Delivers electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in electric vehicle; (4) Conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted or amended by the City, and all state and City health and safety standards. (b) An electric vehicle charging station shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the California Electrical Code, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability. Sec. 8-2903. Duties of the Building Department. (a) A checklist and required permitting documentation of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations shall comply to be eligible for expedited review and all documents required for the submission of an expedited electric vehicle charging station shall be published on the City's publicly accessible Internet Web site. (b) Electronic submittal of the required permit application and documents via email, or facsimile shall be made available to all electric vehicle charging station permit applicants. Web site applications may be allowed at such time in the future that the technology is made available by the City. (c) An applicant's electronic signature shall be accepted on all forms, applications, and other documents in lieu of a wet signature. (d) The Building Department shall adopt a checklist and required permitting Ordinance No. NS -2953 Page 2 of 5 documentation of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations shall comply to be eligible for expedited review. (e) The checklist and required permitting documentation of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations may refer to the recommendations contained 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. Sec. 8-2904. Expedited Permit Review and Inspection Requirements. (a) The Building Department shall adopt an administrative, nondiscretionary review process to expedite the approval of electric vehicle charging stations applications within thirty (30) days of the adoption of this Article. (b) An application for electric vehicle charging stations that meets the requirements of the checklist and required permitting documentation of all requirements shall be deemed complete, and the Building Department shall issue a building permit or other non -discretionary permit at an expedited rate. (c) Review of the application shall be limited to the Building Department's review of whether the applicant meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements. (d) If an application for electric vehicle charging station is deemed incomplete, a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information or documentation required to be eligible for expedited permitting shall be provided to the applicant for resubmission. (e) At the time of the adoption of this Article, the City does not have the technical capability to accept electronic signatures, therefore, acceptance of an electronic signature is not required. (f) Inspections shall be required and performed by the Building Department for electric vehicle charging stations. (g) The inspection shall be done in an efficient inspection process, in a timely manner, and should include consolidated inspections; inspection measures taken should be consistent with safety requirements to ensure that the electric vehicle charging stations are properly installed. (h) If an electric vehicle charging station fails inspection, a subsequent Ordinance No. NS -2953 Page 3 of 5 inspection is authorized, but need not conform to the requirements of this Article. Section 3. CEQA. This Ordinance does not commit the City to any action that may have a significant effect on the environment. As a result, such action does not constitute a project subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. Section 4. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days following its second reading and adoption. Section 5. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby declares that it would have adopted this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or portion thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions be declared invalid or unconstitutional. ADOPTED this 4t" day of September, 2018. APPROVED AS TO FORM: Sonia Carvalho, City Attorney By: ,!`ll� y 6• Lisa Storck Assistant City Attorney AYES: Councilmembers NOES: ABSTAIN NOT PRESENT: Ordinance No. NS -2953 Page 4 of 6 Councilmembers Councilmembers Councilmembers Benavides Martinez, Pulido, Sarmiento, Solorio Villegas (6) None (0) None (0) Tinaiero (1) CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, MARIA D. HUIZAR, Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify that the attached Ordinance No. NS -2953 to be the original ordinance adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on September 4, 2018, and that said ordinance was published in accordance with the Charter of the City of Santa Ana. �1 Mol Maria D. Huizar Clerk of the Council City of Santa Ana Ordinance No. NS -2953 Page 5 of 5