Windham hops on the electric vehicle wave

Village Council scored a grant for two electric vehicle charging stations courtesy of the Ohio EPA.

“The electric [vehicle] company will be over there in Lordstown, so we thought what could it hurt to buy a couple charging stations,” Council President Larry Cunningham said.

The EV station will be located in front of the village police station/administration building.

“If people were to leave their vehicle there to charge, it’s safer than leaving it anywhere,” Cunningham said.

No decisions were made on when the units will arrive or if there will be a fee to use them. 

Windham won’t be alone. Garrettsville was approved in March for a grant to fund two charging stations at the Garrettsville Municipal Parking Lot. The ports should pave the way for more commerce and more electric vehicles around the county.

More from the meeting:

• The Village of Windham has about 10 lots of varying sizes for sale. Two are already gone, and a third has a potential buyer. The lots are a half acre to just under an acre, and are available for under $2,000. Yes, there’s a catch. Cunningham said buyers must build a home on their property within two years, and the homes must be owner-occupied. No rentals, please. Potential buyers should contact Century 21 in Garrettsville.
• Council is hopeful that a grant from Kubota, the tractor corporation, will provide funds to improve the basketball court at the village park. Competition is stiff, so council included a couple essays written by high school students about what the park means to them. “We hope that helps with the process,” Cunningham said.
• Windham is easing its Covid restrictions, setting its next meetings for 6 p.m. May 11 and 7 p.m. May 25 at the Community Center. Meetings will not be Zoomed anymore. Cunningham assures would-be attendees that social distancing protocols will be observed.
• Residents who wish to pay their water bills or taxes at the administration building will be able to do so indoors starting May 3. Throughout the pandemic, only the exterior dropboxes were available.
• Windham’s police department is growing with the addition of Officer Tyler Morris, who joined the department full-time April 18. If it seems like there is increased police presence in the village, it’s because other staffing changes have enabled Chief Eric Breiding to pair officers during their rounds instead of all officers riding solo. The chief aims to hire four more part-time officers in the coming months, Cunningham said.