Council Opts Out of Clean Cities Program

City employees won’t be driving around town in electric cars any time soon.

The City Council this week turned down a chance to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program. The city would have leased two electric cars and built three charging stations in an effort to reduce air pollution.

Council members criticized the cars, calling them “impractical,” and said the council was left with many questions on whether the vehicles improve air quality.

“This is just technology that’s got a long way to go,” Councilman F. Richard Jones said.

City officials said it would have taken as long as six hours to fully charge each electric car. Once charged, the cars would have been able to travel only between 50 and 80 miles.

Proponents of the experimental program, including Edison EV, the company that builds the charging stations and leases the cars, said electric vehicles do reduce air pollution.

Nearly 60 cities throughout the country are participating in the Clean Cities Program, including eight in Orange County: Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Santa Ana, Seal Beach and Westminster.

In other council action this week, a $250 fee was adopted for storing and impounding vehicles.

Police routinely impound and store vehicles driven by people arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If such drivers are acquitted of charges, the fee could be waived, Police Chief Patrick E. McKinley said.

The council also approved an agreement giving firefighters pay raises of at least 6.75% during the next two years.