County approves WinMarion bid for EV chargers, authorizes additional $57,558 from capital fund

San Miguel County commissioners authorized a contract award June 18 for electric‑vehicle (EV) charging stations and approved an extra $57,558 from the county capital fund to cover higher project costs.

Natural Resources and Climate Resilience Director Star Jamieson presented the results of a request for proposals for six EV chargers at four county sites: the county courthouse (one charger), the sheriff’s office(s) (two chargers at each of two sites), and Deep Creek park/commuter parking (one charger). Jamieson said fleet analysis and site electrical capacity influenced the chosen locations and the number and size of chargers; she also said solar capacity at some locations influenced design choices intended to avoid expensive electrical upgrades.

Five vendors submitted proposals and Jamieson recommended WinMarion, a Colorado‑based company, as the most responsive bidder despite a higher initial estimate than the county’s earlier budget estimate. Commissioners and staff said the company’s Colorado presence, experience working with local governments and warranty/maintenance commitments were material to the recommendation. Commissioner discussion emphasized the value of a reliable, local vendor for warranty work and the strategic goal of supporting county fleet electrification while enabling public access at two commuter locations.

Funding and approvals

Jamieson asked the board to authorize the award to WinMarion and to allocate an additional $57,558 from the county’s capital fund to cover the difference between last year’s budget request ($49,000), an available federal Fleet grant ($29,000) and the recommended contract price. Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize the award and the capital appropriation.

Implementation and timeline

Jamieson said the selected vendor quoted a completion window that would likely place installation in summer 2025; she noted some municipalities have installed similar chargers in as little as one day once the vendor’s permit and engineering steps are complete. The board asked staff to ensure multi‑year warranty and maintenance provisions in the contract and to coordinate marketing and outreach for public use of the commuter chargers.

Speakers - Star Jamieson, Director, Natural Resources and Climate Resilience, San Miguel County (government)

Clarifying details - Scope: six chargers across four locations (courthouse 1, sheriff sites 2+2, Deep Creek commuter 1). - Funding: County capital fund to provide an additional $57,558; the project also expects a $29,000 federal Fleet grant. WinMarion was selected as the recommended contractor. - Timeline: Vendor estimated roughly 60 days after final contract and permitting; Jamieson said some municipal installations have been completed in a day once permitted.

Actions - Motion: Authorize county to award the EV charger contract to WinMarion and allocate an additional $57,558 from the county capital fund to cover the revised project cost. - Mover: not specified - Outcome: approved (unanimous)

Why it matters: The chargers aim to support county fleet electrification and provide limited public charging at commuter sites, advancing county climate resilience and reducing fleet operating emissions.

Ending: Staff to finalize contract language including warranty and maintenance terms, coordinate permitting and aim for summer installation; staff will also coordinate outreach for public use.

Topics and newsroom scoring - Primary topic: climate/transportation infrastructure - Topics: [{"name":"EV-infrastructure","justification":"County procurement and capital funding for fleet and public EV charging stations.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":0.92,"depth_score":0.68,"opinionatedness":0.03,"controversy":0.12,"civic_salience":0.64,"impactfulness":0.55,"geo_relevance":1.00}}]