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Committee revives push for municipal EV chargers, cites Barnstables grant success
Summary
Members urged the town to re-examine an earlier EV charger project for the Schoolhouse parking lot and to support grant-seeking; the committee cited Barnstable's strategy and suggested staff or a shared regional position to pursue funding opportunities.
The Energy & Climate Action Committee reviewed prior work to install electric vehicle chargers at the Schoolhouse parking lot and urged the town to re-engage staff to determine what happened to earlier evaluations. The chair said Eversource had evaluated the pole and site but vendor vetting and town-level approvals stalled the project. Members said Barnstable is moving quickly on chargers and that Harwich risks falling behind.
Committee members highlighted a local model for staffing: Barnstable reportedly hired a grant specialist at about $70,000 a year who has, the chair said, secured approximately $40,000,000 in grant funding for energy work. "They pay him $70,000 a year. And so far, he's brought in $40,000,000 in grant money to the town of Barnstable," the chair stated. The committee recommended the town consider hiring or sharing a similar specialist or joining a regional shared position to pursue state and federal charging-infrastructure grants. Town Administrator Jim Mulcahy agreed to follow up with staff and the grant writer (Stephanie Hall) to see what steps remain and whether Eversources evaluation is on file.
