Town properties in Marion could soon be home to several, revenue-generating charging stations for electric vehicles.
In his Town Administrator’s Report to the Marion Select Board on September 4, Geoff Gorman said that the town has the opportunity to install “fast” Level 3 DC chargers at various locations, providing electrical-vehicle charging and a new revenue stream.
Gorman said newer cars can use Level 3 DC chargers and go from 0% to 80% in 15 minutes. Gorman said the company working with the town on a revenue-sharing agreement estimates Marion could realize several hundred thousand dollars in eventual, annual revenues through the project.
Potential town-property locations for these charging stations include six ports each at the Marion Maintenance Garage, Cushing Community Center, the Police Station and the Town House, along with four ports at Island Wharf. The list also includes a location along Wells Road.
“I think the two (locations) that need the most conversation and have more detailed research would be the Police Station and potentially Wells Road,” said Gorman. “We need to verify that Wells Road has had enough layout to support this.”
“I think we need to think about whether or not we want a lot of cars coming into Town Hall or the Council on Aging to charge up and go away,” said Select Board member Toby Burr.
“We could also make this a lot smaller of a project than it is,” said Gorman. “Just to let you know right now, there are no fast-charging stations for anybody in this area.”
Gorman explained that the revenue-sharing details could include offering a residents’ discount and making the service free of charge to municipal vehicles. The town’s existing, Level 2 charging stations would not be removed from their present locations.
“We just identified areas that potentially had enough town property to do the project,” said Gorman, noting that Marion’s hybrid vehicles are not compatible with Level 3 charging stations.
A Level 2 station at the Town House is broken beyond repair, said Gorman, who added a station at the Cushing Community Center was recently “Frankenstein-ed” to accommodate users frequenting either location.
Two new, Level 2 charging stations at the Town House will indicate how much electricity is being used. The old models did not share that information. The new models will even recognize particular vehicles and be able to share data on those individual vehicles’ visits.
Technological advancements will position town officials to determine how much it costs to operate the stations and if, for instance, it would be feasible to charge users a $5 fee.
The next step for the town is to get Eversource to conduct a review allowing the town to move forward. The project manager will report to the Select Board at the latter’s next availability.
In its most-significant action item, the Select Board voted to approve the Town of Marion’s $350,000 grant award from the Massachusetts Division of Water Supply Protection (DWSP) for the purpose of purchasing a conservation restriction for a 27.3-acre property on New Bedford Road in Rochester for drinking-water-supply protection and land-conservation purposes.
In order for Marion to meet the requirements of the reimbursable grant, the town has to have full appropriation in the amount of $585,000.
“The appropriation shortfall above the ($350,000) would be supported by the Buzzards Bay Coalition, so they’re gifting the money to us, and then we’ll return that money and the grant award to them so they can purchase (the property),” explained Gorman.
The amount for related project and closing costs is not to exceed $26,610. The land shall be made available to the public for passive recreational use.
In other action items, the Select Board upgraded Ray Cullum from associate to full-voting member on the Marine Resources Commission.
The board approved two Special, One-Day Alcohol Beverage licenses for the Marion Social Club, one for its Chicken Bake scheduled to serve approximately 200 people on Sunday, September 22, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm and another for its 180-guest Pig Roast on Sunday, October 20, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The board approved the following Water/Sewer commitments: $1,428.04 (final readings August 23); $271.47 (final readings August 27) and $155 (sewer reconnection August 28).
Other subjects tackled in Gorman’s report included news that the Harbormaster Building construction is on track except for carpeting. The ground-level restrooms at the old office’s area have been updated, and visitors can sit on bar stools with high-top tables and enjoy the view of Sippican Harbor.
The new office is on schedule to achieve substantial completion this month and a ribbon cutting with tours soon to follow.
The installation of pilings is expected this week at the new Department of Public Works construction at Benson Brook. “The site-excavation area looks great,” said Gorman, who expected to see the Morton Building people at the site this week.
The town has identified funding for a sign with the new Pina family name at the Point Road Playground.
Finally, Gorman told the Select Board he would like to get an updated list of its Fiscal Year 2025 Goals approved in October. Meantime, in-process goals will remain in progress, pending the board’s direction, he said.
The Select Board will begin an hour early at its next meeting to accommodate a joint session with the Marion Marine Resources Commission.
The next meeting of the Marion Select Board is scheduled for Tuesday, September 17, at 5:00 pm at the Police Station.
Marion Select Board
By Mick Colageo