Supervisors approve SRP easement at County Mesa Campus; public urges EV‑charging standards

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved transportation item 104, a Salt River Project (SRP) power distribution easement at the County Mesa Campus, after a public commenter urged the county to attach operational and accessibility conditions for electric‑vehicle charging.

Jamie Martin, who registered to speak on item 104, said the county should publish a use plan to specify whether chargers will be fleet‑only or available to the public after hours and, if public access is permitted, ensure ADA‑compliant stalls and clear pricing. Martin told the board: “The first condition is to public publish a use plan. So it would be fleet only or public access after hours. If public, ensure ADA compliant stalls and clear pricing. Number 2 is require shade structures and heat resilience designed to protect equipment and users. Number 3 is commit to an annual utilization report so we can right size future investments and avoid stranded assets.” Martin also urged coordination with SRP on off‑peak rates and renewable energy blocks.

A supervisor moved approval of item 104; the motion was seconded and carried in a roll call vote recorded as yes by all five supervisors. In the transcript the roll call recorded Supervisor Stewart as “Yes,” and Supervisors Brophy McGee, Lesko, Gallardo and Chairman Galvin each recorded “Aye.”

Why it matters: installing EV chargers on county property affects accessibility, equity and ongoing operations and maintenance costs. Public commenters asked the county to ensure chargers meet ADA standards, are designed for heat exposure in Arizona, and are evaluated annually so taxpayers can judge value for money.

Meeting context and next steps: the board approved the easement as presented. The public speaker asked the county to include supplemental conditions in the implementation stage; the board action before it did not adopt those conditions on the record.