City calls for ‘urgent action’ to build electric vehicle charging stations for new fire trucks | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo of: Michael Yoder

After returning from a call, Lawrence Douglas-County Fire Engine 1 medical personnel park in renovated station bays at Fire Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky St., Monday, Dec. 23, 2019. The bays have a new concrete floor and new bay doors that swing open instead of rolling up.

According to the City of Lawrence’s Department of Municipal Services and Operations, there is an urgent need to build electric vehicle charging stations at two Lawrence fire stations that are scheduled to receive two new electric fire trucks later this year.

City commissioners will consider approving a motion at their regular meeting Tuesday night that would allow the city to move forward with the electric vehicle charging project without going through the city’s usual bidding process.

The City Commission in December approved two new hybrid electric vehicles — that’s what firefighters call their large equipment — for $1.98 million from Pierce Manufacturing. But in a recent memo to commissioners, City Commission staff said the two fire stations where the new vehicles will be delivered in the fall are not equipped to handle the electrical load and lack charging stations for the new vehicles.

“Urgent action is needed to ensure that electric vehicle charging infrastructure is designed and installed as quickly as possible,” the memo said.

For this reason, the MSO suggested that the Commission authorize City Manager Craig Owens to immediately negotiate directly with Schneider Electric Buildings Americas Inc. rather than soliciting bids from multiple companies.

According to the memo, traditional project development would result in construction beginning in late 2025. By using the alternative delivery approach, construction on the new charging stations could begin by the end of 2024, according to MSO officials.

A city ordinance states that the commission may authorize the city manager to use an alternative method of project delivery if it determines that such a change is in the public interest.

The cost of upgrading the stations’ electrical service and installing the charging stations is estimated to be more than $100,000. A more precise estimate was not provided in the memo. According to the memo, the city plans to station the new fire trucks at Station No. 1, 746 Kentucky in downtown Lawrence, and Fire Station No. 4, 2121 Wakarusa Drive in west Lawrence.

Other points from Tuesday’s meeting:

• The commission will consider a request by Manhattan-based Bison Development LLC to grant an exemption from sales tax on industrial bonds for the construction of 250 units of affordable housing at 3100 Michigan St. Commissioners will be asked to refer the project to the city’s Public Incentives Review Committee (PIRC) for a recommendation.

• The commission will hear a presentation from the nonprofit Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center on the work of its Homeless Outreach Team. The city has awarded the BNC $573,141 in 2023, and the center will provide an update on the work being done through this program.

• The Commission will also hear a presentation during a work session with an update to the Land Development Code, which the City is currently fundamentally rewriting to allow for a different type of development in the City.

Commissioners will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Lawrence City Hall, 6 E. Sixth Street. The meeting can also be viewed on the city’s YouTube channel.