(3/25) The discussion of whether charging for use of the Town’s EV charging stations would be a worthwhile endeavor was reintroduced at the March Town Council meeting. The question was initially introduced last September when Mayor Frank Davis requested the Council approve an ordinance to amend the Town Code for reserved parking for electric vehicles.

Davis made the request in response to multiple requests he received to extend the time to 24 hours per day that drivers could utilize charging stations. The only complaints received at that time were that cars were parking there after 10 p.m.

In the process of reviewing the parking concerns, the Council asked how much charging EV vehicles cost the Town. The Town has four EV charging spots that were purchased in 2018 and completely funded by grants. The chargers had a five-year warranty that covered repairs which expired in 2023. As of today, the machines have not needed any major repairs.

Currently Emmitsburg does not charge owner of cars for use of the charging stations, however the Town has seen an uptick in use since June of 2024 by a minor amount. For the entirety of 2024 the chargers cost the Town around $2,300 total. The first half of 2024 monthly charges ranged from $20 to $350 with only one month being in the $300s. In the latter part of the year, the range was $20 to $583 with half of the months over $475. Town Manager Cathy Willets said the cost should drop dramatically as of March 1st because the cost of the chargers has been moved onto the Town’s solar account.

Willets stated that Town staff thought the current chargers had credit card capability but as of now that is not the case, significantly limiting the ability of the town to charge drivers. Town staff are still researching whether the current machines can be upgraded and Willets said if grant funding is available to pay for the credit card usage capabilities, Town staff would find out.

Without exact numbers to compare costs, the Council agreed to wait approximately three months before readdressing whether to charge for use of the EV chargers. Once they see how much the chargers being on solar power costs the Town, they will decide whether charging drivers is a reasonable option.