Watertown residents will have more places to charge electric vehicles (EVs) in public parking lots. For now, the charging will be available for free, but in the next several months the City will begin charging for the electricity.
A loan order approved by the City Council on Tuesday will allow the City to purchase eight charging stations to go in four locations: Nichols Avenue Lot, the Phillips Building (the lot for the School Administration’s office and the Senior Center behind 30 Common St.), at the John A. Ryan Skating Rink (1 Paramount Place), and at the Police Station (552 Main St.).
The two chargers at the skating rink will be fast chargers, and the other locations will get two dual-port charging stations, said City Manager George Proakis. He added that the loan is for $180,000 and the projected cost of the eight stations is about $136,000, so the City will look at a couple other locations to install EV chargers.
According to the City’s website, EV chargers have been installed at the Howard Street Parking Lot (six plugs), Lowell School (one plug), Cunniff School (three plugs), Hosmer School (six plugs), and the Department of Public Works (eight plugs). The charging stations on school properties are restricted to school staff during the day.
City Councilor Nicole Gardner said she would like to see the other stations go in places where people may not be able to have a home charger.
“In neighborhoods that are single family people are able to put chargers off garage, or what have you. In areas highly populated with rental properties renters don’t have that opportunity,” Gardner said. “As City contemplates where to put additional chargers, part of me wants to see coverage across the City but I do also think that that particular issue should be taken into account so that we enable people who are renters to also buy EV vehicles.”
Councilor Lisa Feltner asked if there could be more charging stations at the Public Works Facility on Orchard Street. Proakis said the City has installed charging stations at the DPW, but currently two of the stations are blocked by the trailer containing the water meters being installed in homes in town. It was parked in front of the chargers because it is the only spot to place the trailer.
Resident Joan Gumbleton noted people to not have to pay for charging at the existing EV chargers in the Watertown Library parking lot, though they have to pay parking meters. She asked whether people will be charged to use these new stations.
“I do hope as citizens we shouldn’t have to pay for those costs,” she said. “If these people can afford EVs they should be able to afford to pay to charge.”
Proakis said Watertown, like many communities, did not charge when they first installed EV chargers in order to encourage people to purchase electric vehicles. They City paid about $100,000 for electricity last year at the City-owned charging stations, which includes both City owned and private vehicles. He said that the City has some electric vehicles, and has a goal to use EVs where possible. He expects more vehicles to be added to the DPW and Police Department’s fleets.
While City officials want to allow the public to power up at the City’s EV charging stations, Proakis said the City does not want to encourage people who have home chargers to use the City charging stations because they are free. The aim is to give people who don’t have home stations a place to charge. The City will be creating a plan to have people pay to charge.
“We are looking at moving in the direction that most of the communities around us do and start charging a nominal fee to recoup the cost of electricity,” Proakis said. “I expect in the next six months we should be there.”
Former City Councilor Angeline Kounelis said she is disappointed that the City does not have a plan to charge for power in place.
“This is something that I had placed in communications last year and forwarded to the City Manager and it is disappointing that we are still six months out from actually establishing the rules and regulations for how the charging is actually going to be implemented, specifically to the payment for the charging,” she said. “I hope this can be expedited. It has been in conversation since last year.”