The Incorporated County of Los Alamos County Council on July 8 approved installation of six Level 2 electric‑vehicle chargers at the Municipal Building and established a project budget to cover construction and contingency.

County staff sought approval of task order 11 under services agreement AGR22‑18E with R and M Construction LLC for $398,861.44 plus applicable gross‑receipts tax and asked the council to establish an overall project budget of $730,000 that includes gross receipts tax and contingency. Councilors voted unanimously among those present; the tally reported was 6 yes, 1 absent.

County staff member Ms. Goulet, the project presenter, told council the site will replace three existing chargers in the center median, add three new chargers for six total Level 2 ports, and be accessible to the public and the county fleet. “We will replace those 3 and add an additional 3 for 6 total new level 2 EV chargers, with an output of, I think, it's 19 and some change kilowatts per port,” Goulet said. She added the new chargers will be networked to allow usage tracking and payment collection.

The council also heard specifics about safety and accessibility. Goulet said the design includes emergency shutoff switches and bollards developed with the fire department and that the site will be ADA compliant. She told council the rate established by the Board of Public Utilities for use of the new networked chargers is $0.23 per kilowatt‑hour. “The fee has been established, by BPU, and it's, 23¢ per kilowatt hour. So that'll cover both the electric cost and the o and m cost,” Goulet said.

Councilors asked about compatibility and capacity. Staff said each charging cabinet will serve two vehicles at once (six chargers serve 12 cars simultaneously) and will support common connector standards used by most EVs. Staff said existing Level 3 chargers at the site are lightly used, and the newly networked Level 2 units will provide better usage data.

The motion to approve task order 11, adopt budget revision 2026‑01 and include the associated attachment in the minutes was moved by Councilor Hammond and seconded by Councilor Regor. Roll call recorded six affirmative votes and one absence; the motion passed.

The project approval included authorization to carry over sustainability funds in the amount presented to cover the county share of the budget.

Councilors and staff said they expect the networked chargers to better balance public demand and county fleet needs and to provide data for future charging‑infrastructure planning.

Looking ahead, staff noted additional grant activity: the county reported an unofficial award for two DC fast chargers at the library (staff described those as minimum 150 kW DC fast chargers), and the municipal chargers are the county's first EV expansion project at a public municipal site.