Pitkin County’s vehicle fleet manager recognized for sustainable practices

Matt Bergstresser began working for Pitkin County as a mechanic, keeping all types of vehicles in Pitkin County’s fleet on the road in 2013. 

Thirteen years later, Bergstresser, who manages Pitkin County’s fleet of 325 vehicles, was recognized this month as “Professional Manager of the Year” by the Colorado Chapter of the American Public Works Association for his work converting that fleet to EVs when possible. By the end of 2026, Pitkin County will have more than 30 vehicles powered by electricity. 

“Matt decided to take on our EV program, which from the direction of our (Board of County Commissioners), is increasing our fleet electrification where possible,” Pitkin County Public Works Deputy Director Scott Mattice said. “Anytime we do a replacement, Matt is trying to replace it with an EV.”

Bergstresser is continually evaluating vehicles in Pitkin County’s fleet for potential EV replacement. When it seems possible, he works across departments to assess those vehicles, use them in test drives, and consult with all the parties that would use the vehicles to ensure that an EV can be a suitable replacement. 

However, it’s not as simple as replacing aging cars and trucks when they are ready to retire. If it was, there would be other counties pursuing electrification with the same tenacity, according to Mattice. 

The main difficulty with EV-fleet conversion lies in the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, which can be a difficult obstacle for some local governments to overcome. 

“Most other organizations end up slowing down their EV conversion because they lack the infrastructure it takes to charge these vehicles,” Mattice said. “Matt went out and was able to obtain grants and dove headfirst into the program, realizing that if you can’t charge them, they’re not worth anything.”

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Pitkin County could not do with simply installing wall chargers for its vehicles; it needed fast charging for vehicles that are constantly in demand and in rotation up and down the Roaring Fork Valley. 

To address this, Bergstresser oversaw the installation of four chargers, a total of 24 charging ports, including some DC-fast chargers that can charge county vehicles to travel around 100 miles in 10 minutes. The charging location at the public works campus at 76 Service Center Rd. is open to the public. 

Because of his effort, the county has been able to adopt more EVs into its fleet than the state average, according to a Pitkin County press release. 

“Matt embodies the County’s mission,” Mattice said in the press release. “He works tirelessly to improve services for our citizens while pushing the envelope in sustainable management practices.”

However, Bergstresser’s job encompasses more than EV management. As the fleet manager at Pitkin County, he oversees ambulances, fire trucks, snow plows, specialized equipment for the airport runway, and much more. 

Managing the county’s vehicle fleet requires consistent attention in the two county mechanical shops, where a constant stream of vehicles receive regular maintenance. For a long time, he worked in those shops but now he oversees them. 

“My main role is to keep two shops functional so that those vehicles get repaired on a daily basis,” he said. “We have 11 guys in our fleet department and we work on everything from trucks that drive up and down the airport runway to big snow removal equipment and ambulances.” 

Internal combustion vehicles require regular maintenance of their engines; oil changes, filter changes, and more. One advantage that the county has been seeing as a result of Bergstresser’s work on the EV fleet conversion is that maintenance hours are reduced on those vehicles. 

“The time that we’re saving is probably about a half hour per vehicle on a service since you’re not dropping engine oil or a filter,” he said. “We’re still doing cabin air filters, wipers, rotating tires, road tests, that kind of stuff — but not having to do oil changes definitely saves some time.” 

While the EV program at Pitkin County is not yet old enough to quantify cost savings on maintenance, Bergstresser and Mattice are confident that future data will show savings. 

“Matt Bergstresser’s work sets a precedent, inspiring other municipalities to prioritize sustainability,” the county wrote in the press release. “His commitment positions Pitkin County as a model for other communities striving for sustainability.”