Spokane Municipal Code

Title 07 Finance

Chapter 07.06 Procurement of Goods, Services and Works

Article II. Public Bidding and Other Provisions

Section 07.06.175A Procurement of Clean Fuel Vehicles

1. Beginning on the effective date of this section, and pursuant to the rules adopted by the Department of Commerce at chapter 124-29 WAC and any subsequent applicable rules promulgated by Commerce concerning electric vehicle procurement, each replacement vehicle purchased or leased by the City of Spokane will be one powered 100% by electricity or biofuel. The City’s goal is to ensure that one hundred percent (100%) of the City owned or leased vessels, vehicles, and construction equipment shall be fueled by electricity or biofuel by 2030. Nothing in this section is intended to require the replacement of equipment before the end of its useful life. Compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or propane may be substituted for electricity or biofuel if the Department of Commerce determines that electricity and biofuel are not reasonably available for those vehicles. Collectively, for purposes of this section, vehicles which are powered by electricity, biofuel, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and propane are “clean fuel vehicles” until the State of Washington changes that designation.

2. Pursuant to WAC 194.29.030, the City Fleet Services Department shall, no later than December  31, 2021, provide the City Council’s Public Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability Committee its plan for reaching the 100% clean fuel goal established in the prior subsection. If the replacement of any particular City vehicle with a clean fuel vehicle is not practicable as determined by the City Council, the Director of Fleet Services shall notify the Department of Commerce of the City’s decision to exempt such vehicles from the requirements of this section as part of the City’s annual reporting under WAC 194-29-080 and provide a copy to the City Council.

3. Pursuant to WAC 194.29.030, the City Fleet Services Department shall notify the City Council’s Public Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability Committee in writing whenever it believes that the replacement of a city vehicle in need of replacement with an electric vehicle as required by RCW 43.325.080 is not practicable.  Absent prior notification and approval by the Committee, requests for proposals and other procurement and leasing efforts to obtain replacement vehicles that are not electric shall not be processed except within the terms of an emergency declared by the Mayor and ratified by City Council in regards to the purchase of a specific vehicle.

4. Beginning on the effective date of this section, and except as provided in subsections B and C above, new vehicle purchases for which no comparable replacement clean fuel vehicle is available shall be deferred for at least two (2) years but they may be leased with approval of City Council. 

5. When considering whether the purchase or a lease of a clean fuel vehicle is economically feasible or is more cost-effective than the purchase or lease of a non-clean fuel vehicle, the City shall take into account the total life cycle cost of each vehicle, including the cost of fuel and maintenance over the useful life of the vehicle. The cost of installing electric charging infrastructure shall not be considered as a cost related to procuring any specific vehicle.  The longest life cycle of two vehicles being compared shall be the base lifetime for comparison purposes.

Date Passed: Monday, April 19, 2021

Effective Date: Wednesday, June 2, 2021

ORD C36036 Section 2