The Barrington Town Council approved three bids totaling nearly $75,000 during a meeting on Monday night, June 6. 

The council signed off on a $13,000 bid for new uniform pants for Barrington firefighters, another $19,000 for training equipment for the fire department, and more than $40,000 for three electric vehicle charging stations which will be installed at the Barrington Public Safety Building.

Barrington Fire Chief Gerald Bessette said the contract with the firefighters union requires that the town purchase station firefighter clothing every two years. The chief said the department put out a bid for new uniform trousers, and received one response, from a Fairhaven, Mass. company for $13,770.

The council voted 5-0 to approve the bid.

Chief Bessette also requested the council approve a bid to purchase new training equipment for the department — the equipment is lifelike mannequins (both adult size and child size). The chief said the training mannequins are very advanced and allow for firefighters to conduct crucial training. 

The bid price was $19,013.49. Funding for the purchase, Chief Bessette said, was expected to come from MED Expense Account and the Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium. 

The council voted 5-0 to approve the bid.

While the fire department bids offered brief discussions, the council spent a little bit more time on the bid for the electric vehicle charging stations. Teresa Crean shared a description of the bid — she said the department was requesting $41,871 for the purchase and installation of three electric vehicle charging stations. She said the charging stations would be installed at the Barrington Public Safety Building on Federal Road. 

Crean said the charging stations would be “level 2” stations, which do not offer the rapid charge for electric vehicles — they require about four hours of charging time versus the “level 3” charging stations which can give a full charge in approximately 20 minutes. 

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll asked Crean if the level 2 stations would be sufficient for the needs of the police department, which recently purchased a fully-electric cruiser. Crean said there are level 3 stations located at Barrington Town Hall also. 

Barrington resident Thomas “TR” Rimoshytus told council members that he did not think it was a logical idea to have the four-hour charging stations at the police department. He said police cruisers needed to be charged quickly and available from one shift to the next.

Rimoshytus then asked how much more it would cost the town to install the 20-minute charging stations. Rimoshytus said the 20-minute stations would allow for cruisers to get a full charge in between shifts, while officers were in roll-call.

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey said the price difference was significant. The total cost for purchasing and installing three level 2 stations is about $110,000, but a rebate from National Grid knocked that price down to $41,871. Meanwhile, the level 3 stations would cost the town more than $200,000 and there is currently no rebate money available. 

Hervey has proposed that the town use American Rescue Plan Act funding to pay for the charging stations. Council member Rob Humm asked how much money would be left in the town’s ARPA funding if they approved the charging stations bid. Hervey estimated about $2.9 or $3 million would be remaining. 

There was also some discussion about the location of the charging stations at the public safety building — councilor Jacob Brier asked if their location would impede an access road used by the Barrington Farm School, which abuts the police station. Crean said the charging stations would be installed closer to the building and storage shed and not create any access issues for the farm school.

A short time later Carroll made the motion to approve the bid. It carried, 5-0. 

The charging stations are not for public use; they are only for police and other town vehicles only. 

Electric rebate

According to information included in the town manager’s memo to councilors, a rebate offered through National Grid will cover more than half the cost of the project. The rebate includes $19,000 per charging station and 50 percent of the total cost of the stations ($22,380). There are no programs available to cover the warranty or networking costs, the memo stated.