Franklin Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council installs electric vehicle charger

Franklin residents and visitors with electric vehicles are now able to charge their cars at the amphitheater.

The Franklin Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council cut the ribbon Thursday for its latest project: an electric vehicle charger. The charger is located in the parking lot of the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater at Youngs Creek Park and is the second charger in the city. The other charger was installed at Hampton Inn and Suites on Paris Drive.

“We thought the amphitheater was probably the best location just because it’s a main area now,” said Taylor Trueblood, president of the youth council. “Electrical vehicle chargers are now becoming a bigger need because of electric vehicles.”

The 30 members of the youth council work with the mayor to find needs in the community where they can make a difference. At the beginning of the year, Trueblood said the youth council brainstormed ideas for their main project and came up with the idea to install the charger.

The youth council worked on the project the whole school year, Trueblood said.

“It’s definitely really neat to know that we can come down to the amphitheater and students my age, we made this happen,” Trueblood said. “We made a difference in our community in some way. So it’s definitely exciting. It is a big accomplishment.”

Trueblood said the youth council presented the idea to Franklin’s Board of Public Works and Safety and the city council and bid on what company they wanted to work with. The board of works approved a $9,500 bid from Davis Electric on Feb. 5.

Duke Energy also helped the youth council with the project. Dan Schroyer, manager of the charger solution program for Duke Energy, said the company installs the charger and owns and maintains it. He said it was their first commercial install in Indiana as a program.

“It’s a win for us, it’s a win for Franklin because I’m hopeful that it’ll start to bring new eyes into Franklin,” said Jean Renk, government and community relations manager at Duke Energy. “They see that there’s a charging station in downtown Franklin, they will come off the highway and come into Franklin.”

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Renk said this is the second time Duke Energy has worked with the youth council. Last year, Duke Energy helped with a roundabout art installation at the entrance of Franklin Community High School.

“When the mayor asked us if we will be involved, the answer is nine times out of 10 yes,” Renk said.

The charging station has an AC Level Two Charger and is able to charge two vehicles at once. It has the power equivalent of a clothes dryer or oven and will cost roughly $130 per month to maintain, Trueblood previously said. Customers will pay to use it and the bill will be paid over time by the customers who use the station, she said.

Duke Energy is providing maintenance and upkeep of the station.

Trueblood said this year’s vice president Noah Woods has also been working with NASA to bring a Moon Tree — a sapling that orbited around the moon — to Franklin. The council expected the tree to be planted on the cross country course at the high school.

Other projects the youth council has pursued in the past include the installation of Wi-Fi in downtown Franklin which is still in the making, the sculpture at the roundabout, Safe Haven Baby Box at Franklin Fire Headquarters and an inclusive playground.

“I’m super proud of these kids,” said Tara Payne, Franklin’s chief of staff. “They work hard all year long on projects like this. They meet twice a month, which is a lot and it’s before school.”

Payne said the goal is for the youth council to see how city government works.

“So when we determine a project, we try to pick a project that will help lead them through the process, whether it’s asking for money, fundraising, designing, getting approvals … ” she said. “We really want to lead them through all of the steps and processes so they truly get an understanding for how city government works by the time they leave high school.”

Payne said the electric vehicle charger was a less involved project for the youth council, but more about coordinating between groups. The youth council served as project managers and coordinated with the electrician, assistant city engineer Matt McElroy to coordinate the placement and work with the parks department. The project cost approximately $15,000 and the youth council paid for half of it with their own funds and the city council appropriated money to pay for the remainder.

“It’s a need in our community. That’s one of the best things about the Mayor’s Youth (Leadership) Council is they come up with ideas that are actual needs,” Payne said. “I don’t know how many times I have heard, ‘You have nowhere to charge an electric vehicle. This is ridiculous.’”

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Trueblood said the council is happy to have left a legacy with this charger.

“Franklin is such a special place to live in,” she said. “As the next generation, we are all so excited that we have been able to make a difference and continue to better and keep Franklin as an inspiring community to be a part of.”