Murphy wins COG EV‑charger reimbursement; council gives staff direction to proceed

Staff told council Murphy is an approved site for a Council of Governments (COG) EV charging reimbursement grant that would fund public fast‑charging infrastructure at the police‑department site. The staff presenter (Staff member, S2) said the anticipated COG grant reimbursement for the approved site is approximately $411,000 over a five‑year period and that the project requires a five‑year operations and maintenance commitment.

A presenter for the grant (Presenter, S10) explained that COG will manage procurement and select a vendor to install and maintain chargers; the vendor is expected to cover ongoing maintenance and repairs and the city’s role would be limited to site upkeep (mowing, lighting, cameras) and reporting. Council members asked whether the city would receive a cut of charging revenue; Presenter (S10) said revenue splits and exact deal terms will come from the vendor selection and bidding process, which could take several months. Staff clarified that the city will not spend installation funds before October 1, and council indicated general support to proceed with executing required agreements to preserve the awarded site while final vendor terms are still to be determined.

The approved site includes plans for Level‑3 fast chargers with police‑priority signage for at least one stall and provisions for handicap accessibility; staff said one site has been wait‑listed and the police‑department site is the funded location. Council asked about vendor rates, revenue sharing and timing; staff said a working group will participate in vendor selection and that the city can decline later if the final deal is unfavorable, but the city must show commitment to execute agreements to keep the approved site.