Yorba Linda plans switch to electric vehicle fleet; governing bodies select new leaders for 2021

 

Plans to switch Yorba Linda's city-owned, gasoline-powered transportation fleet to all-electric vehicles begin this year, with early actions anticipated when the City Council approves a two-year operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Funding to pay for the installation of infrastructure required to transition the city's vehicles to an electric-based fleet was approved late last year. The cost for installing five fleet chargers in the rear City Hall parking lot is $115,000, plus a 15% contingency allowance.

If approved when council members adopt the new budget, the city will replace 10 City Hall-based vehicles – six SUV crossovers and four economy-sized cars – that already had been scheduled for replacement by the end of 2021 per policy, after about seven years of service.

Infrastructure and vehicle costs will come from the city's Air Quality Management District funds that include revenue received annually under the state's “clean air” legislation. The fund has a current balance of $1.1 million, with some $178,000 already designated for projects.

According to a report to council members from city Finance Director Scott Catlett, the South Coast Air Quality Management District “has recently encouraged the city to allocate more of the available balance” – just over $900,000 – “toward clean transportation projects.”

Catlett said: “The vehicle fleet based out of City Hall is proposed as the first phase as a broader transition to an electrified fleet over the next several years as a wider variety of electric vehicles become available, including light- and medium-duty trucks.”

“A conservative estimate” of $500,000 was cited by Catlett as the cost of replacing the10 City Hall-based vehicles and installing charging infrastructure, leaving some $400,000 in the air quality fund for future projects.

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Governing boards representing Yorba Linda residents have selected new leadership for 2021:

--City Council members elected Peggy Huang to replace Beth Haney as mayor and Carlos Rodriguez to replace Gene Hernandez as mayor pro tem. Huang joined the council in 2014 and Rodriguez in 2018.

--Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees elected Karin Freeman to replace Eric Padget as president, Carrie Buck to replace Judi Carmona as vice president and Marilyn And-erson to replace Freeman as clerk. Freeman joined the board in 1989, Buck in 2010 and Anderson in 2020.

--North Orange County Community College District trustees elected Barbara Dunsheath to replace Ryan Bent as president, Jacqueline Rodarte to replace Dunsheath as vice president and Ed Lopez to replace Rodarte as secretary. Dunsheath joined the board in 2006, Rodarte in 2015 and Lopez in 2016.

--Yorba Linda Water District directors re-elected Phil Hawkins as president and J. Wayne Miller to replace Andy Hall as vice president. Hawkins joined the board in 2010 and Miller in 2016.