After much discussion, Sechelt council decided at its May 4 meeting to implement a fee for the single fast electric vehicle charger the district owns, but to allow continued use of the slow chargers for free.
The new cost for the district’s fast charger will be 35 cents a kwh with a minimum charge of $2. The new fee will be brought back to council in one year for review.
The district has four Level 2 (slow) electric vehicle charging stations – at Kinnikinnick Park, the Sechelt Public Library (two at this location) and the Water Resource Centre. The district’s fast charger is at Trail Bay Mall.
All the chargers have been free for public use since they were installed in 2012 and 2015, but the district has been paying for the electrical, software and administrative costs of running the system. Total cost to the District of Sechelt to provide the service was about $2,900 in 2015.
With the new 35 cents per kwh fee for the fast charger, the district expects to recoup about $1,400 of its costs in the coming year, meaning it will still subsidize the service to the tune of about $1,500.
When the issue was brought to a public works, parks and environment committee meeting on April 27, councillors on the committee had mixed reactions – some saying the district shouldn’t subsidize the service at all and others pointing to the environmental benefits of electric vehicles.
The same concerns were brought up again at the May 4 regular council meeting.
“I think this has got to pay for itself and you charge whatever it takes to cover all your costs,” Coun. Doug Wright said at the meeting. “I just don’t want to be subsidizing it.”
Mayor Bruce Milne noted that the majority of people using electric vehicles could afford to pay for the cost of charging their automobiles in Sechelt.
“Who’s using electrical vehicles in Canada and North America right now are among the most privileged middle class and upper middle class, and I’m not sure we should be subsidizing them on these issues,” Milne said.
Coun. Alice Lutes said that the issue, to her, was bigger than just a subsidy.
“It’s the welfare of our community and our future, and we need to encourage electric vehicles over gas guzzlers,” Lutes said. “I truly do believe that this is a subsidy we need to support, to try and encourage greener vehicles.”
Coun. Darnelda Siegers noted that other places across Canada are only charging for the fast chargers (at about 35 cents a kwh) and she suggested going the same route, with the proviso the new fee comes back to council in one year for discussion and possible alteration.
After a motion to charge for both the slow and fast chargers was defeated, Siegers suggested the 35-cent-a-kwh charge for the fast charger alone. It passed with Lutes, Milne, Siegers and Coun. Noel Muller in favour, and councillors Wright, Mike Shanks and Darren Inkster opposed.
