Residents urge competitive RFP on EV chargers; students push for expanded youth mental-health supports

Two public commenters addressed the council on Oct. 27 with requests for policy or process changes.

Lance Reed, who identified himself as an Alpharetta resident and a service-disabled-veteran small-business owner headquartered in the city, urged the council to issue a formal competitive RFP for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. Reed said his company engaged Georgia Power on the city's behalf and that the utility approved the site within seven days, which he said would have removed a "log jam" and saved the city substantial infrastructure costs. He said the city later approved a $260,000 purchase of four Tesla chargers without a formal invitation to bid, an ARFP or specifications available for public comparison. "Tesla provides single port chargers. Our solutions use dual port chargers, meaning 4 Tesla units support 4 vehicles while our 4 units support 8 vehicles," Reed said, and he said his like-for-like proposal would have saved nearly $80,000 upfront plus lower processing fees over time. He asked the council to issue a competitive RFP so local and service-disabled businesses can compete.

Violet Purcell, a Windward resident and student-leader, spoke on behalf of youth in Alpharetta and said a poll on her Instagram showed youth pick "youth mental health" as their top concern. She cited recent student suicides in the broader community and asked the city to expand youth mental-health programs and to partner with student groups. Council members responded that Fulton County is the primary provider of mental-health facilities countywide and that county-level efforts include a planned facility on North Point Parkway; the mayor and council noted the city supports county efforts and will continue partnership activities.

No formal council action resulted from the public comments at the meeting; both speakers asked for follow-up from the city or county.