Village approves purchase to expand EV charging, staff to pursue grants for faster chargers

The Village Board approved the purchase and planned installation of additional electric-vehicle charging equipment and authorized budgeted funds to expand publicly available charging ports, staff said. Village staff told trustees the village bought its first electric vehicle in 2022 and now operates seven EVs across departments; the village also maintains two department charging stations.

Staff said the June purchase of CharterPoint charging equipment will increase the total number of charging ports available to the public to eight. The board also approved procurement to secure equipment and installation now, citing potential future price increases. Staff recommended that the village consider adding faster chargers (Level 3/“DC fast” ports) to support emergency response and transient public charging; trustees asked staff to pursue applicable state grant programs and report back with a funding plan.

Staff noted some federal and state programs may open in 2026 that would support charging‑station grants. The board approved the equipment purchase and associated installation work consistent with budgeted funds; no specific additional tax or bond was proposed at the meeting.

Next steps: staff will complete installation, continue to operate the village EV fleet, and pursue available grant opportunities to fund higher‑speed chargers and additional public ports.