DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board has approved negotiations between the town and Livingston Energy Group for the installation of Direct Current Fast Chargers. 

 

Green Committee member Tony Pagliarulo presented to the board last month a proposal from the energy equipment and solutions business that would install dual-port 180-kilowatt, direct current fast chargers at Pine Grove Park, the Senior Center and Greenridge Park. 

 

This initiative would take two years to complete.

 

"If we get into the queue the very least we're ahead of the game of some other communities," Pagliarulo said. 

 

The project would install two chargers each at Pine Grove Park and the Senior Center, and one at Greenridge Park, with paving, painting, software, and maintenance being the only costs to the town.

 

"There are companies out there that are seeking to gain a footprint in the business and some of them are offering extraordinary terms including absorbing the town's cost after all of the rebates are received from Mass Electric," Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said. 

 

This would also include parking improvement at Pinegrove and Greenridge, Hutcheson said. 

 

Pinegrove and Greenridge would have to be paved. The bollards and signage is included in the final cost, Pagliarulo said. 

 

Livingston Energy Group is a company dating back to 2017 with 7,000 installations that are primarily in the central New York area. 

 

"They're trying to get a footprint in Massachusetts toehold and the terms are generous in terms of what Eversource is offering for a rebate — 100 percent for make ready work and 100 percent for make ready for the customer side," Pagliarulo said. 

 

"So, the only thing that we are on the hook for is software and maintenance. Livingston is willing to absorb those costs. We would be simply responsible for the painting on the driveway. So, they're covering us to the tune of, you know basically $400,000 to $500,000." 

 

Eversource is covering the cost of the infrastructure.  

 

"They're assuming Eversource is going to cover $120,000 of infrastructure. That's where I'd like to have that in writing that no ifs or buts it's more you're covering it not the town," 

 

The town would own and determine the rate charged to EV customers and are billed through the Livingston Charge Port app. The revenue is issued to the town quarterly, deducted 9 percent. 

 

Prior to signing the agreement, Pagliarulo wants an engineer to come out to the proposed locations. 

 

"I want to make sure that whatever we were to sign in the future, we've done our homework before," Pagliarulo said.  "That the engineers come out here, I mean today things are done with a drone overhead and they can do a lot of that. I would ask that they come out here in person with some skin in the game."

 

He said he spoke to the Westport manager who had his machine in for a year and noted no difficulties. 

 

The board was not opposed to the initiative but did express concerns around the scope, longtime cost, usage data for these locations, and details surrounding the contract. 

 

Select Board Chair Joseph Diver said prior to receiving his support, he would want the contract and proposal reviewed in detail, adjust the scope of the work for the price, and a formal legal review. 

 

"I have a lot of different questions but they won’t be answered until I see the contract," Diver said. 

 

Included in the agreement the town would receive five years of the required software. Board members would like a projection on how much this software would cost when it is time to renew. 

 

Pagliarulo also recommended that the board consider purchasing two Level 2 chargers for the Senior Center, which would be identical to the ones at the Community Recreation Association. 

 

The initiative would install two two-port 19.2 kW chargers and remove the existing Level 2 chargers that are no longer functional. 

 

The existing chargers only have one functional port. The other port is blocked off by a town car. 

 

"I contacted the contractor and he pretty much said that the system, the parts, and material is really outdated given the technology that's gone on. And I took a picture of it. I think it goes back at least five years, maybe more," Pagliarulo said.

 

"My thought was better to upgrade rather than to repair. By the way, that [EV station] is illegal by today's standards because the charging station, it's across the sidewalk. It's not [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliant by any means." 

 

The new chargers would be ADA compliant and Pagliarulo would want it to be complete within 2024. 

 

The net cost of the initiative, including the removal of the current chargers would be $36,466 but the town would get a $23,200 reimbursement through the Department of Environmental Protection. 

 

Based on the current tax rate, a project like this would only be "pennies on the dollar," Pagliarulo said. 

 

"Based on the tax rate of 11 cents per thousand the bottom line to Dalton would be dollars on the tax rate. That is $13 would come out to like $5 or $6 on the tax bill," he said.

 

"Certainly the 40,000 would be more in the order of $50, not even, more like 

$40 so it's pennies on the dollar."

 

There are a lot of costly projects that the town has to accomplish, such as Walker Brook for approximately 250,000 and Dalton Division Road for $700,000, and paving of roads, so it may only look like "pennies on the dollar" when looking at the big picture it adds up, Diver said. 

 

" It’s pennies on a dollar until you look at $5 million in investments," Diver said. 

 

There may be other funding options the town can consider such as American Rescue Plan funds, vice chair Dan Esko said. 

 

The board will discuss these projects at a future meeting.