Chaffee County commissioners approved awarding a contract for an electric-vehicle (EV) readiness plan after staff recommended the Colorado firm Brendle Group (listed in the packet as Brindal/Bridal/Brendle in various places) as the best-qualified proposer.

Background: the county was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Colorado Energy Office in 2023 (CEOs program) that requires a $10,000 local match; partners (Chaffee County, City of Salida and the Town of Buena Vista) pledged $5,000, $2,500 and $2,500 respectively, for a total project budget of $50,000. Planning staff said the project will implement parts of the county comprehensive plan, the Salida Climate Action Plan and the Sustainable Development Plan, and will include stakeholder outreach to local governments, electric providers, CDOT, land managers and other entities.

Staff review and award: the county issued a request for proposals on July 1, received five submissions by the Aug. 1 deadline, and evaluated proposals on technical qualifications, deliverables, community context and budget. Staff recommended the Brendle Group based on Colorado experience, a detailed stakeholder engagement approach and a local presence in Poncha Springs.

Commission action: a commissioner moved to award the contract to the Brendle Group; a second followed and the board approved the contract by voice vote.

Project scope and next steps: county staff said the EV readiness plan will identify a shared vision, partnerships, fleet-electrification guidance for local governments and mountain transit, and actionable strategies to expand community EV adoption and charging infrastructure. Project tasks will include stakeholder engagement, mapping of existing infrastructure, and recommendations for charging deployment and permitting.

Why it matters: the plan is intended to coordinate local municipalities and regional partners on EV infrastructure and to prepare for growing EV use by residents and visitors. The project uses grant funding supplemented by local match commitments and will proceed to a contract and scope of work implementation phase.