Published in the November 15, 2019 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD — The Town Council voted this week to accept a donation of three electric vehicle (EV) charging stations from the Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department and to participate in a related one-year pilot program.

Town Councilor Julie Smith-Galvin, who also heads up the the Environmental Sustainability Committee, used a PowerPoint presentation to review the details of the program with the Town Council. The WMGLD had originally floated the idea to the Town Council at a meeting last August.

Smith-Galvin explained that the objectives of the pilot program would be: to attract people to downtown and bolster economic development; get valuable data about EV usage, charging patterns, rates and regulations; show municipal leadership; demonstrate commitment to sustainability and encourage EV adoption and usage.

She reminded the Town Council that the WMGLD is offering to donate charging infrastructure, hardware and installation for two Level 2 chargers and one Level 3 charger. At the August meeting, the Council had requested additional public input, proposed pricing/rate structure, enforcement structure, integration of communication/signage and a basic education/awareness plan.

Smith-Galvin said that the Level 2 chargers are the most common type and can charge a vehicle in five to 11 hours enough to give it a range of 124-249 miles. The fast-charging Level 3 chargers can fully charge a vehicle in 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Under the pilot program, one Level 2 charger would be placed on the Armory Street side of the Americal Civic Center and would be capable of charging two cars simultaneously. The other Level 2 charger would be located in the parking lot near Veterans Field. The Level 3 charger would be located in the Lincoln Street municipal parking lot.

Smith-Galvin said that the chargers would be able to charge a variety of electric vehicles as well as some plug-in hybrid vehicles.

There are an estimated 18,000 electric vehicles registered in Massachusetts (40 in Wakefield), according to Smith-Galvin. The goal is to have 300,000 in the state by 2025 through various state and federal incentive programs. She maintained that EVs offer more predictable and lower costs for fuel and maintenance and fit in well with many lifestyles and driving profiles. She said that EVs are part of a national trend toward increased electrification of transportation, heating, etc.

She said that under the pilot program, drivers would be able to locate the chargers via an app on their phones and would be able to tell if the charger is available or in use. Drivers will “check in” at the charger with a swipe pass backed with a credit card on file. The driver will be able to track the vehicle’s charge while enjoying Wakefield, Galvin said. The driver will move the car when charged or the permitted parking period is up. Cars that overstay the permitted parking period will be automatically assessed an overtime parking fee.

Smith-Galvin said that based on current electric rates the anticipated costs of using the Level 2 chargers would be about $1 an hour. For the Level 3 charger it would be about $0.30 per minute or about $18 per hour. She noted that those rates are based on a “break-even” point that covers the cost of the electricity and administrative costs. She said that the idea was to charge as close to real costs as possible and make it revenue neutral to the town. Another possibility, she said, would be to treat the chargers as a business development incentive where the town pays direct costs for a maximum of 2 hours per vehicle.

She added that the chargers would be programmed to automatically charge an overtime penalty consistent with current parking regulations ($25). EV charging spaces would be subject to existing parking regulations. No overnight parking would be allowed and there would be no parking during snow emergencies.

There would be a maximum of four hours for Level 2 charging spaces and a max of two hours for the Level 3s. EV parking will be clearly marked with signage and painted spaces. Enforcement rules and penalties will be clearly displayed. There will be penalties for non-EV usage of EV spaces.

Smith-Galvin said that efforts will be made to get signage for Wakefield’s EV chargers placed on Route 128 and to optimize inclusion of Wakefield’s chargers in EV charging apps and forums. The chargers will be Included in ongoing Envision and wayfinding signage efforts. Efforts will be made to work with the Chamber of Commerce and businesses on joint marketing efforts.

Enforcement procedures will be worked out with Wakefield Police and the town will work with the DPW to establish procedures around maintenance, especially during severe weather events.

The town will monitor the pilot program with the WMGLD and present a bi-annual report with utilization data, actual costs, feedback, etc.

Chairman Edward Dombroski wondered about the possibility of offering three Level 3 chargers in order to maximize parking space turnover. But Smith-Galvin said that the Level 3’s were several times more expensive than the Level 2 chargers and she doubted that the WMGLD would go for three level 3 chargers.

The Town Council voted unanimously to accept the donation of the three electric vehicle chargers and participate in a one-year pilot program with rates set to cover costs of electricity and administration.