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RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE MAYOR OR MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO WORK WITH THE SOUTH FLORIDA REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL TO PREPARE AN APPLICATION FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGING STATION MASTER PLAN AND FUTURE FUNDING TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) THAT ASSESSES THE FEASIBILITY OF USING LOCATIONS ON MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RIGHTS-OF-WAY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SOUTH DADE BUS CORRIDOR AND THE METRORAIL CORRIDOR LEADING INTO DOWNTOWN MIAMI, LOCATIONS IN OR AROUND MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PARK FACILITIES, AND OTHER PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY SUCH AS THE MEDIAN ON STATE ROAD 836 BETWEEN FLORIDA�S TURNPIKE AND THE PALMETTO EXPRESSWAY

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WHEREAS, the demand for such EV charging stations is expected to significantly grow in the next few years with the production and delivery of several EV models including those from major car manufacturing companies such as the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf and Ford Focus; and
WHEREAS, having the charging station infrastructure in place for this future demand is seen by industry experts as a major element for the success of EVs. Despite the increased driving ranges of the new generation of EVs, a major obstacle to overcome is the �range anxiety� of drivers; and
WHEREAS, the industry of electric vehicle charging stations is a quickly evolving one, with the business model still being shaped. Both the public and private sector have stepped in to provide a network of EV charging stations throughout the US. An element of these facilities is the �level� of electricity offered, with Level I stations full charging a vehicle in 8-12 hours, Level II in 4-6 hours, and a Level III station in approximately an hour. These various stations are typically located at locations where there is a concentration of vehicles such as parking garages/lots, shopping centers, educational facilities, hotels and major employment sites; and
WHEREAS, according to DOE, Florida is ranked #3 behind California and Washington with over 50 existing and planned locations. The majority of these facilities are located in the Central Florida area. In Miami-Dade County, Dadeland North parking garage has several Level I and Level II chargers. Recently, a private company deployed a solar powered EV charging station facility in the Omni area offering Level I and II chargers to the public. The County also maintains some charging stations for its fleet of retrofitted and plug-in hybrids>>, as well as for the public free of charge<<1; and
WHEREAS, DOE announced on April 19, 2011 a grant of $5 million to fund electric vehicle infrastructure including charging stations in an effort to spur the deployment of EV facilities through local government and private company collaborations. The grant minimum and maximum awards will be $250,000 and $500,000, respectively. Deadline for submission is June 13, 2011; and
WHEREAS, the South Florida Regional Planning Council through its role as the South Florida Gold Coast Clean Cities Coalition intends to submit a proposal on behalf of a seven-county region consisting of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties to DOE requesting funding to prepare an EV charging master plan which will examine deployment issues such as the appropriate locations and equipment for such facilities; and
WHEREAS, the Miami-Dade Office of Sustainability is working very closely in partnership with the South Florida Regional Planning Council on the development of this grant,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that the Mayor or Mayor�s designee is directed to work with the South Florida Regional Planning Council to prepare an application for a master plan and/or future funding that assesses the feasibility of using (a) locations on Miami-Dade County rights-of-way, including but not limited to the South Dade Bus Corridor and the Metrorail Corridor leading into downtown Miami, (b) locations in or around Miami-Dade County park facilities, and (c) other public rights-of-way such as the median on State Road 836 between Florida's Turnpike and the Palmetto Expressway.

1 Committee amendments are indicated as follows: words stricken through and/or [[double bracketed]] shall be deleted, words underscored and/or >>double arrowed<< constitute the amendment proposed.