This week’s Stakeholder Spotlight features Central City, which is making big strides in clean fleet transportation. We spoke with Marc Johns, Public Works and Utilities Director, about the city’s efforts to electrify its fleet and implement sustainable transportation solutions. He shared insights on how transitioning to electric vehicles and equipment is delivering both financial and environmental benefits for the city. We are proud to have Central City as a coalition member and look forward to supporting their continued clean transportation efforts on the road to electrification. 

*These responses are summarized from a conversation with Marc Johns. 

Can you tell us about who you are and your role at Central City? 

My name is Marc Johns, I am the new Public Works / Utilities Director with the City of Central City. I am a Colorado native, and I grew up in a small town north of Denver named Keenesburg. I have been in municipal work for over fifteen years and love what I do. 

What electrification projects are you currently working on? 

In my six months with Central City, we have been identifying areas where we can improve our EV fleet and equipment. We have changed all of our hand-held equipment to electric. The city is currently working with Drive Clean Colorado on changing out our vehicles. As we identify the cost implications we will add this replacement program into our capital improvement plan. 

What were the challenges of adopting electric hand-held equipment? And how did you address them? 

Cost is always the biggest hurdle for the purchase of new equipment. The other concern was the longevity and battery life to be efficient in our duties. We discussed the reviews and options that are out there and realized we had a large downtime with gas-powered equipment and the overall cost was cheaper than gas when you add everything in. 

How does Drive Clean Colorado (DCC) help with your fleet conversion? 

DCC is an important partner to help us navigate the transition of our fleet by giving us the resources to make the best decisions for the city. Central City is passionate about being more sustainable and environmentally friendly and partnering with Drive Clean Colorado is a critical step in this. We are a member with DCC because we want to improve our knowledge of clean transportation options and help be a resource for other communities. 

“Central City is passionate about being more sustainable and environmentally friendly and partnering with Drive Clean Colorado is a critical step in this. We are a member with DCC because we want to improve our knowledge of clean transportation options and help be a resource for other communities.” – Marc Johns