The city of Medical Lake is considering a request from the Spokane County Library District (SCLD) and Avista Utilities to add an electric vehicle charging station at the local library, 321 E. Herb St.
Amber Williams, SCLD Strategic Initiatives Manager and project manager for the EV charging station project, brought the proposal before the Medical Lake City Council at their July 2 meeting. The Library District has been working with Avista, utilizing the grant funding process, since 2021 to install these charging stations at area libraries, with five libraries — Argonne, Moran Prairie, North Spokane, Otis Orchards and Spokane Valley — already providing charging services. Argonne, Otis Orchards and Spokane Valley host AC Level 2 (ACL2) chargers, while North Spokane and Moran Prairie provide services utilizing DC Fast Chargers, a feature Williams said requires an “enormous amount” more infrastructure than the ACL2 chargers
“And that’s (ACL2) what we’re proposing for Medical Lake,” Williams said.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, both AC Level 1 and AC Level 2 chargers utilize common household electrical current — ACL1 on 120 volts while ACL2 takes 208 (commercial) and 240 (residential) volt services. The difference is the speed, with ACL2 taking 4-10 hours to charge a BEV (battery electric vehicle) and 1-2 hours to charge a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) from empty to 80 percent.
An AC Level 1 charger would take 40-50-plus hours and 5-6 hours to charge each respective vehicle. Williams told the council the ACL2 proposed for Medical Lake’s library would be a dual-port station utilizing two spaces in the facility’s parking lot northwest corner.
“Two cars can charge at the same time,” she said.
Avista would pay the $15,000 to install the charging station, which includes the infrastructure and hardware and ongoing maintenance. The district would be responsible for paying the ongoing cost of electricity. The cost of electricity is calculated at “roughly $1 for two hours of active charging time.”
“If a car was plugged in for 24 hours a day, it costs $12,” Williams said.
The charger will be available for public use on the property for a minimum of 24 months, with the proposed agreement capable of being terminated prior to that if necessary. Installation of the station will take approximately 3-5 weeks and should cause minimum disruption in the use of the parking lot.
In an email to ML City Administrator Sonny Weathers, SCLD Executive Director Patrick Roewe said the district does not charge its customers to use ACL2 chargers in the parking lots of district-owned and/or operated facilities.
“We intend to continue that at Medical Lake,” Williams said. “It works for continuity across the district.”
Because the city owns the library site, Roewe said its approval to install the charging station is needed on the contract with Avista “is key,” hence the reason for approaching the council.
Reception from council seemed favorable to go forward with the charging station installation. One member expressing concern was Councilman Ted Olson, who asked if the district would also supply gasoline or diesel for these types of vehicles, since they are supplying electricity for electric vehicles.
“I mean what you’re doing is giving away a commodity, and you’re not doing anything for fossil fuel people,” Olson said.
“The library has been in a position of giving away commodities since its existence,” Williams replied. “The idea of a library is a collective of a community to share resources.”
Williams added libraries have been providing services such as internet access and printing, along with other information services, without any significant pushback, even though those services are provided by businesses.
“All I want to do is make a point that fair is fair,” Olson said.
“From my perspective, I think it’s great,” Councilman Lance Spiers said of the proposal, noting the city lacks electric vehicle charging stations. He added those who do have EVs must drive to the Petro station off the Medical Lake interchange at Interstate 90 to recharge their vehicles.
Medical Lake Mayor Terri Cooper said there are a couple of electric charging stations in the city, but the public pays to use those. Williams noted the district had considered charging people for the use of the stations, but it was more expensive to put that infrastructure in than it was to provide the free service.
“I’m excited about it,” Cooper added, noting the library parking lot is seldom full.
The next steps involve the city review of the Avista Site Agreement, making any changes as needed. Once all parties have signed, SCLD staff will manage the overall project while Avista schedules and oversees installation.
