Commission hears update on charging‑station electrical upgrade and asks staff to propose rate changes

Kenosha transit staff told the Transit Commission on July 20 that electrical work is underway to increase the charging-station capacity after breakers tripped when a second charging port was added.

The transit director said contractors are increasing power to the charging station to make charging "much, much faster" and that the city is paying for the upgrade at this time. The director explained the change is intended to prevent breakers from tripping and to reduce charging times for vehicles.

Commissioners questioned whether the commission should be covering the hardware costs when private operators may benefit. Chair Anthony Kennedy said the question of whether to recover costs through higher charging rates needs a separate agenda item and a formal recommendation from transit administration. The commission asked staff to bring a recommended rate adjustment to a future meeting so that the commission can consider cost recovery options.

Technical notes and uncertainty in the transcript: staff described changing the installation from a single 60‑amp configuration to a dual‑port arrangement to increase charging capacity; transcript wording about amps and breakers was inconsistent in places and staff will provide a written technical summary for the commission. Commissioners approved a motion to receive and file the charging-station update.

Next steps: staff will finalize the electrical work, issue a public notice on completion, and present a formal recommendation on pricing to the commission for consideration at a subsequent meeting.