City says $750,000 grant will fund transformer upgrade and new EV chargers

The presenter said the city is completing exterior repairs at City Hall and installing a new transformer behind the building to modernize electrical service.

"The transformer itself is being funded by a $750,000 grant from the Department of Public Utilities," the presenter said, adding the project will double City Hall’s electrical capacity and fund upgrades to two existing chargers in the Perry Auditorium lot and five additional chargers in the Moulton Street parking lot. The presenter framed the work as enabled in part because a new elementary school project came in under budget, freeing capital funds.

City officials described the transformer as a response to the building’s 1930s-era electrical configuration and said the project will support modern office needs and additional electric-vehicle infrastructure for employees. The presenter urged residents to watch city channels for construction updates and noted some work—like new windows in Perry Auditorium—should be finished within a few weeks.

The city did not provide a project completion date or contractor name during the update. Funding and scope were stated on the recording but formal project documents and timelines were not attached to the monthly announcement.