City staff outline plan to apply for DC fast-charger grant; sites eyed near I‑35 and City Hall

City staff said they will pursue a regional grant to install direct-current fast chargers for electric vehicles at city-owned sites, and described technical requirements, likely locations and how costs would be shared. Alex, a city staff member, told the sustainability committee the grant is administered through the council of governments and that the city has identified potential sites near Interstate 35 and at City Hall. "There are no DC fast chargers currently; we have level 2 chargers in the city," Alex said.

The committee heard why fast chargers are different from level 2 stations: the minimum qualifying power for the grant is 150 kilowatts, which staff described as the baseline for "fast" charging. Alex said vendors and the utility may offer higher power — 250 kW is now common — and that the minimum requirement for the grant is 150 kW. The city would need space, lighting and accessibility-compliant stall layouts; staff said re-striping may be required so a four‑stall configuration (the grant minimum per site) could use up to five parking spaces after accessibility adjustments.

Why it matters: Committee members said fast chargers would help residents who cannot install home charging — for example, apartment dwellers — and would support travel along the I‑35 corridor. A staff presentation said placing chargers where drivers can walk to amenities while vehicles charge — shopping or restaurants — is preferred because typical fast charges take 20 to 30 minutes.

On costs and operations, Alex described the grant and cost-sharing arrangement as an 80% federal match with the city paying up front and being reimbursed after project completion; the charging-station vendor would provide the other 20% of initial costs and recoup operations revenue by charging for use. Staff also explained likely operational measures to reduce long-term vehicle occupancy of chargers: once vehicles are fully charged, apps notify users and an overstay fee typically begins after about an hour.

Committee discussion touched on charger wattage, the need for multiple machines per site, and the utility/transformer impacts that make DC fast chargers more expensive and sometimes difficult to site. No formal action was taken; staff said they will meet with the regional consultant to perform preliminary site reviews and will update the committee if the city moves forward with the application.

Ending: Staff asked the committee for input and said they will report back if the city applies for the grant and on any site feasibility findings.