Discuss and receive direction on the NCTCOG Charging and Fueling (CFI) Community Grant for electric vehicle charging stations.

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is administering an Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Grant Program that provides approximately $12 million in grant funding for publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the 16-county North Central Texas region. The purpose of the program is to expand the region's EV charging network by funding approximately 100 publicly accessible charging ports, with an emphasis on filling existing gaps in regional charging infrastructure.<br><br>In October 2025, the City of Richland Hills submitted an application requesting grant funding for the installation of EV charging stations within The Link parking lot. The proposed project includes two (2) Level 2 (L2) EV charging stations and four (4) dedicated EV parking spaces.<br><br>On December 8, 2025, NCTCOG conducted a public meeting to present the recommended grant awards. A total of 109 project applications were submitted, with only 59 projects recommended for funding. The City of Richland Hills' project was selected as one of the recommended award recipients.<br><br>As staff continues preparing the upcoming fiscal year budget, additional information has been requested regarding the City's potential financial obligations associated with accepting the grant. To better understand these obligations, staff contacted NCTCOG to discuss both the short-term and long-term fiscal impacts of the project. Based on the information currently available, staff's understanding is summarized below.<br><br><strong>Construction and Installation</strong><ul><li>Total estimated construction and installation costs are approximately $87,000.</li><li>NCTCOG will reimburse 80% of eligible construction costs, estimated at approximately $69,900.</li><li>The selected EV charging station vendor is expected to fund the remaining 20% of construction costs, resulting in little to no direct long-term construction expense to the City.</li></ul><br><strong>Cash Flow Consideration</strong><br><br>Because the grant operates on a reimbursement basis, the City would initially pay the grant-funded construction costs to the vendor and subsequently request reimbursement from NCTCOG. This represents the City's most significant short-term financial commitment.<br><br><strong>Operations and Maintenance</strong><br><br>The grant also provides reimbursement for a portion of eligible operating and maintenance costs during the required four- to five-year operating period. Current estimates indicate:<ul><li>NCTCOG will reimburse approximately 20% of eligible operating and maintenance costs (approximately $3,200 for this project).The EV charging station vendor is expected to fund the remaining 80%, primarily through charging fees collected from users.</li><li>As with construction costs, the City would initially pay eligible reimbursable expenses and subsequently seek reimbursement from NCTCOG.</li></ul><br><strong>User Fees and Revenue</strong><br><br>The grant program do

This motion is scored as RESTRAINS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 2.8/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, voting YES on measures that cap or reduce ad valorem tax burdens, expand taxpayer exemptions, retire debt early, enforce competitive bidding caps, or remove regulatory/zoning barriers to private property rights earns a positive Pro-Liberty score.