Electric department to propose fee schedule updates, begin deposit refunds and charge modest fees for borough EV chargers

Councilman Andrew Carroll told the borough at its May 7 work session that the electric committee will present an updated fee schedule to the full council (the first update since 2015) and that staff are developing a mechanism to return previously collected electric deposits by direct deposit, with a goal of implementing that process in June.

Carroll said the borough is completing infrastructure work including pole/power-bank replacements, two newly installed EV chargers and a completed tunnel feed system connecting Walnut to Madison to support upgrades this summer. He said the committee is drafting language for an electric‑vehicle ordinance that would govern charging in the borough and include modest rates for borough‑owned chargers: "We're gonna be looking at doing a very modest rate for that, but we do wanna just make sure that we're recouping our costs," Carroll said.

Carroll also said the Main Street substation capital-reserve project will present a payment request of about $250,000; contractors have largely completed the work and the department reported the project is, so far, on time and on budget. The committee noted broader wholesale-power market changes; Carroll said PICO and PPL were reportedly considering price increases of about 20% starting June 1, which would widen savings the borough can offer customers under its NextEra power arrangement.

The committee will bring an updated fee schedule and EV ordinance language to full council in two weeks; council members may ask for additional details during that meeting.