The West Tisbury Select Board voted to adopt a new electric vehicle charging policy that will require a fee from the public to charge their cars at town stations.
The town’s energy committee brought the proposal forward to the board during a meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 18, suggesting that West Tisbury should not be subsidizing electric vehicle drivers when people driving gas-powered vehicles are not subsidized. Committee member Kate Warner also told the board that other Vineyard communities are starting to charge a fee; that could lead to more people going to West Tisbury to charge their cars.
The town has allowed the public to charge their cars for free, as a way of incentivising the transition to electric vehicles and to cut down on the use of fossil fuels.
West Tisbury currently has a number of charging stations, including at town hall, the highway department, and the West Tisbury library, with a station in development at the West Tisbury School.
There was some initial hesitation to change the policy on Wednesday. Board chair Skipper Manter said the subsidy was geared toward encouraging residents to use fewer fossil fuels; also, the town spends only roughly $1,200 a year on electric costs for the stations, with a good portion of that use from town hall employees. Manter said that the town estimated between a third to half of the electricity used was for town staff.
Ultimately, though, the board agreed to the new policy.
The town is considering locking an existing charging station at town hall, opening it to town hall employees and not the public. When the stations become outdated and need replacing, the select board would decide whether to replace them with newer and faster charging technology that would include a fee for public use.
Warner said that the fee at the stations would be equal to the full electricity price, including both supply and distribution charges; and that the fee could be adjusted to include service and software charges as required.
So West Tisbury Town employees are also getting free fuel for their cars when do the perks stop for public officials. And apparently I am the only one who seems to think this is a problem as the employees still will have a key to get there free fuel.
Bob– Do you ever wonder why you think you are
“the only one” who thinks there is a “problem” with
some of the things you disagree with ?
In America — which the Vineyard is technically
part of, we have a right to voice our opinions.
I certainly express mine, and I read yours.
I also understand the process by which public
officials or voters decide issues.
I’m sure you complained when this service
was free, and now you complain because they
are going to charge for it.
Sorry if you never had a good job with “perks”
but some people do. Please don’t berate them
for using those perks.
I am much happier paying for free clean fuel
for town employees than I am for the seemingly
unfettered use of private jets and 5 star resorts for
Supreme court members. I know– taxpayers don’t
pay for that abuse of power directly, but they do pay.
Of course,not all of the SCOTUS members use
those “perks”.
Do you think that WT voters have a problem with this perk?
Or is it just the out of towners?
Doesn’t this policy discourage people from adding more electric cars on the island? These cars have both large Federal and State rebates to encourage their purchase. It seems to me that we shouldn’t charge for electricity for the first 1-3 years. And then do it later on.
I believe that tax incentives for adoption is the right thing to do. Power consumption should be at prevailing rates. Free “fuel” would be a no brainer for an Uber driver.
There is a little confusion. Town leased electric vehicles used by employees while performing their job functions are charged at Town Hall, not electric vehicles owned by town employees.
Agreed.
what happened to the charges at Cronigs markets?