Lacey mayor, councilmembers clash over electric vehicle charging fees 

Lacey Mayor Andy Ryder and some council members argued over the proposed electric vehicle (EV) charging fees for the city's public charging stations during the Lacey City Council Meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 6. 

The contention centered on the appropriate fee levels given the current and future state of charging technology and infrastructure costs. 

Ryder expressed concerns about the proposed fees' high level, arguing that they were excessive given that the charging stations had already been purchased with federal grant funding. 

The mayor also raised issues about the potential obsolescence of the current level 2 charging technology, questioning whether charging residents for something that may not exist was appropriate. 

"We're gonna be collecting up to $9,800 for something that won't exist in the future," the mayor said, adding that the costs of these charging stations have steadily decreased. 

Councilmember Lenny Greenstein, however, disagreed with the mayor's position. Greenstein argued that it would be "fiscally irresponsible" not to collect enough funds to cover the eventual replacement of the charging stations, even if the future costs are unknown. 

"We don't know the cost in the future, but that's true of everything we do,” argued Greenstein. “We put money away on every vehicle that we buy as a city; we budget for replacement of that vehicle, not knowing what that vehicle is going to cost at the time of replacement, because it's unknown. It's always going to be unknown. It's a future thing.” 

“There’s no way you know the future; none of us do,” said Greenstein. 

Councilmember Carolyn Cox “largely agreed” with Greenstein, stating, "We don't know if the grants are going to be available in the future for that.” 

The debate also touched on the potential for adjusting the fees based on off-peak electricity rates, with the mayor suggesting that the fees should be lower when electricity is less expensive.  

Despite the mayor's objections, the city council voted to approve Resolution 1154, establishing the EV charging fees. Every council member voted in favor, and the mayor voted no. 

This decision comes as the city is upgrading and expanding its EV charging infrastructure. Current projects will replace four obsolete Level 2 chargers at City Hall and add new DC Fast (Level 3) chargers at the Regional Athletic Complex, Woodland Creek Community Center, and City Hall. This expansion aims to increase the total charging capacity from four stalls to sixteen by Winter 2024.