City staff: grants secured for planned EV chargers; small remaining city contribution expected

A resident asked the Finance Committee for an update on plans for electric-vehicle charging stations downtown; city staff told the committee the grants to install chargers are in hand and the city’s remaining contribution should be relatively small.

“Terry Wilbur, resident,” asked whether the previously discussed plan for charging stations still had $70,000 set aside and whether grants would cover the remainder. A city staff member replied, “Those are all secured. I think it's, late spring is likely,” and said the city’s out-of-pocket portion would likely be in the $10,000–$20,000 range but that the exact number was “not specified” during the session.

Staff described the planned payment options and operation: drivers will be able to pay with a credit card at the terminal or through the charging provider’s mobile app; the city also previously provided free charging that cost roughly $7,000 per year in electricity, a number staff used when assessing pricing and operations. The staff member said the initial installation will include eight charger spaces and that the city will monitor usage for one to two summers before making revenue projections.

Staff said the chargers need not be restricted to EV-only parking stalls in the near term and noted the city already operates at least one municipal EV. The committee and staff said rates will be set to balance encouraging EV use and avoiding underpriced public electricity over time.

Ending: Staff will return with final cost figures and operational projections after installation and initial seasonal usage data.