MCOE plans for EV chargers, leases several hybrid vehicles as fleet update

Heather Raines Black, presenting the business administration and operations report, told trustees that the district has applied for grants to support electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and that it appears the county office will be awarded six chargers. "It does look like we're going to be given 6, EV chargers, so we're excited about that," she said.

Raines Black also described a new vehicle-leasing arrangement with Enterprise to replace aging fleet vehicles. She said the agency will initially lease three Toyota Camry RAV4 hybrids (all-wheel drive) and expects delivery of several vehicles between May and September; the leases follow a cost analysis showing leasing to be more cost-effective than large up-front purchases. Trustees asked about placement of chargers and ADA access for sites; staff said they will coordinate infrastructure work and ADA requirements with vendors and identify parking-lot locations that meet accessibility standards.

On fleet efficiency, Raines Black said the leased hybrids will improve mileage and reduce some maintenance burdens: "They're all hybrids and all wheel drive as well. So they'll get approximately 51 miles per gallon," she said. The board thanked staff for the update and asked for follow-up on siting and timeline.