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Blue Island to accept federal grant for four EV chargers; city to cover about $26,000

City of Blue Island City Council · April 16, 2026

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Summary

City staff told the council a Cook County–administered federal program will fund roughly $180,000 to install four public electric-vehicle chargers in Blue Island; the city’s estimated upfront share is about $26,000 and council will later approve operator rates and maintenance arrangements.

Blue Island officials announced an intergovernmental agreement to install four publicly accessible electric-vehicle charging stations under a Cook County–facilitated federal grant.

Staff (Speaker S5, "Staff member") told the council the program would install two chargers by the post office and two on the west side of town, with the grant covering about $180,000 of the cost and the city’s out-of-pocket share roughly $26,000. "The other about a $180,000 to be picked up by this program," S5 said. "The 26,000 that... the city's portion of that, we'll make that back in revenue over a period of time."

S5 said the grant includes an initial maintenance package for the first years and that, after installation, the city would work with recommended operators to set user rates. Rates would be brought back to the council for formal approval: "We'll then meet with them, and they'll give us their best advice based on the market," S5 said. "That will be a decision ultimately for the council."

Council members asked who would handle maintenance and how locations were chosen. S5 said the county program recommended the two downtown/post-office spots and two west-side locations after the city supplied a list of potential sites. He added that the program's early maintenance coverage should limit the city's near-term costs but cautioned the city should plan to allocate future revenue to maintain and, if needed, replace stations over time.

The staff presentation characterized the installation as a pilot intended to provide public charging in central, frequently used municipal lots and to position the city to apply for more funding if viable expansion opportunities arise.

Next steps: staff will finalize the IGA details, identify an operator, and return to council with proposed rate and maintenance terms for ordinance approval and implementation oversight.