BRAINERD – Charging stations for electric vehicles could be built in downtown Brainerd.
On Monday, August 19, City Council members voted to allow Brainerd Public Utilities to apply for a grant to fund five electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot next to City Hall.
The grant would come from Minneapolis-based ZEF Energy and cover up to $64,000 of the cost of the five charging stations, while BPU would cover the cost of installing and supplying the site at the intersection of South Sixth and Laurel Streets with the necessary electricity.
A memo from Acting Public Utilities Director Patrick Wussow to the City Council on Monday said the BPU commission wants to promote downtown Brainerd by providing charging stations for electric vehicle owners.
Wussow said other locations downtown were being considered, but explained in the memo that the City Hall parking lot was preferable because it was highly visible to motorists, was owned and maintained by the city year-round, was in the heart of downtown Brainerd and was relatively close to needed infrastructure.
The parking lot currently has assigned parking spaces for City Hall employees, some rented and leased spaces, and other free short-term parking for the public.
If the grant is approved, the electric vehicle charging stations would replace some of the assigned employee parking spaces, which would be relocated from the edge of the property along South Sixth Street to the center, where parking is also available to the public.
Council member Tiffany Stenglein said she likes this location better than others downtown because electric vehicle charging stations can be vulnerable to vandalism, but the City Hall grounds are more visible than other locations.
Councilmember Mike O’Day brought up the Economic Development Authority’s possible plans to redevelop and market the city’s downtown parking lots. It was noted that the property is still owned by the city and has not been transferred to the EDA, meaning the council has authority over it, although council members could schedule time to discuss the idea with the EDA, for which O’Day and Councilmember Gabe Johnson serve as council liaisons.
The total costs for supply, maintenance and repair of the charging stations are not yet known. Wussow said further information on the costs would be available as soon as the subsidy was secured. The charging tariff is also not yet known.
The grant application will be resubmitted to the Council before being submitted to the BPU Commission.
THERESA BOURKE can be reached at
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Theresa Bourke started working at the Dispatch in July 2018, covering Brainerd city government and education in the region, including Brainerd Public Schools and Central Lakes College.
