By Terry Wit – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            City staff was given approval this week by the Williston City Council to file an application for a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to install electric vehicle charging stations at two locations in the city.

            The locations for the city-owned electric charging stations would be in Block 12, Williston’s former downtown business district across from City Hall, and at Homestead Park on the north end of town, a privately owned facility that would do a land swap with the city.

            Williston’s city-owned electric utility would profit from the sale of electricity to car and truck owners using the public charging stations.

            City Planner Laura Jones said the grant requires a $300,000 match from the city but in-kind contributions, which aren’t cash, can be used to meet the grant’s requirements. She is hopeful the city’s labor, materials, and land swap will take care of the required match.

            “We’re hoping to try to do that with all in-kind contributions. We’re hoping we don’t have to do any cash,” Jones said.

            Jones said the nearest electric charging stations are 30 miles from Williston. She said the three major Federal and State highways passing through the city make it an ideal spot for electric charging stations.

            The federal grant money would pay for paving of the charging station locations and installation of the equipment. The grant money wouldn’t pay for all the paving of the parking lot that serves Block 12. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) would chip in funds for the larger paving project in Block 12.

            Jones said she doesn’t know if the entire $1.5 million will be needed but she has been told to go after as much grant money as possible because there is a huge pool of money available and large grant applications are likely to be viewed in a positive light.

            Council President Debra Jones said residents have been asking her about the charging stations.

            “I can tell you there are people in town who are excited about it. They keep asking me when we’re going to do it,” Jones said.

            The council president said there are internet maps that direct electric car drivers to locations where they can charge their vehicles. She feels having public electric charging stations in Williston could attract people to the city who might patronize local restaurants.

            The council unanimously approved Planner Laura Jones writing the grant, but Councilman Jerry Robinson said he wouldn’t support using any city cash as matching funds for the grant.

            “If that $300,000 is not in-kind, if it’s cash, I will be adamantly against that because there is so much that we can do here with $300,000 or any part thereof,” Robinson said. “I am only one person up here but I definitely am not going to approve any monetary unless it is just in-kind for that grant.”

            Jones said a company that sells electric charging stations will help her write the grant.

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City of Williston Regular Meeting May 16, 2023; Posted Mary 19, 2023