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Committee approves first 13 public sites for city-backed electric vehicle charging network
Summary
The Public Works Committee approved a plan to advance the first 13 publicly owned sites in Milwaukee for an $18.7 million electric vehicle charging network funded primarily by a federal grant, with a private operator to be procured to build and run the stations under a five-year contract.
The Milwaukee Public Works Committee voted to approve the first batch of public sites for a citywide electric vehicle (EV) charging network, directing staff to proceed with environmental reviews and preparations needed to seek construction funding from federal grantors.
City staff said the program is funded by a roughly $15,000,000 federal grant with about $3,700,000 in local match and other funds, for a total program budget of about $18,700,000. Eric Schambarger of the city’s Environmental Collaboration Office said the plan is to install at least 53 sites over multiple phases and to begin with 13 public locations to speed delivery and increase certainty for private-sector bidders.
“The theory is that if we have more electric vehicle charging, more people will feel comfortable buying electric cars,” Schambarger said, describing the grant-funded program and an intended public-private partnership in which a private network operator would provide the local match, install and operate the chargers and assume maintenance for an initial five-year period.
Committee members and staff said the city will seek proposals from private operators through an RFP; the private partner is expected to cover some local match and operate the network in return for customer revenues. The city plans to place two charging stations with four ports (four stalls, ADA-accessible) at each approved site and to prioritize most sites for Level 2 chargers, with Level 3 (fast) chargers at larger lots that have sufficient electrical capacity, including the Washington Park/Urban Ecology Center, Lincoln Park and the Mitchell Park Domes.
Staff warned that federal requirements mean construction funds will not be released until required environmental reviews are completed. “All of that is necessary before the federal government will release the construction funding,” Schambarger told the committee, citing the need for NEPA review and other site checks. He said the city has initial engineering money and has hired an engineering firm to do the environmental reviews and site selection work.
Committee members raised questions about site choice and practicality: several asked how the proposed locations align with existing EV ownership and whether park lots or library lots are practical year-round charging locations. Staff said the first 13 sites are primarily public — Milwaukee Public Library branches (Bay View, Center Street, MLK, Good Hope, Mitchell Street, Zablocki) and several Milwaukee County park locations (Washington Park/Urban Ecology Center, Veterans Park, Mitchell Park Domes, Wilson Park, Lincoln Park, and the Zoo area at Zufari/associated lot) — because federal guidance created uncertainty about placing federally funded chargers in paid private lots or parking structures.
Committee members also asked about customer pricing, metering, safety and operating hours. Schambarger said new meters will service the chargers separately from building electrical loads, payment and pricing will be negotiated as part of the RFP, and operating details (including hours) will be part of contract negotiations; he said park- or library-hosted chargers could be restricted when the host closes if required by agreements. He said the city expects to evaluate bids on a combination of technical qualifications and proposed customer pricing and revenue-sharing models.
The committee approved the item without recorded objection. The approval lets staff continue environmental reviews and proceed toward a construction funding request and later RFP for a private operator to design, build and operate the network.
The action advances a larger city climate and equity goal: staff described the program as an element of Milwaukee’s climate and equity plan and said it aims to expand access to EV charging across neighborhoods that have had limited infrastructure to date.
Next steps identified by staff include completing NEPA and other environmental reviews, filing for federal construction funds, issuing an RFP to select a private operator, and starting construction on early sites in 2026 if federal funds are released.
Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the Public Works Committee meeting on July 2, 2005.
