Councilmember John Mesa raised a complaint during public‑safety and transportation discussion that non‑electric vehicles were repeatedly parked in EV charging spaces at a city charging station, preventing electric vehicle drivers from charging.

Mesa described a resident who attempted three days in a row to charge an electric vehicle but found the spaces occupied by non‑EV drivers. He said police told the resident there was no ordinance expressly prohibiting internal‑combustion vehicles from parking in EV charging spaces and asked council to direct staff to draft an ordinance or other enforcement mechanism.

Staff said the issue covered both parking regulation (how spaces are designated and enforced) and technical billing or session controls (some users turn off the charging app but still occupy the space). Council suggested staff examine sign‑posting, parking fines, towing/removal authority, time‑limits, and utility/charging‑session enforcement to reduce improper occupancy. Several council members agreed staff should return with proposed ordinance language and operational options.

No formal ordinance was introduced at the work session; staff will research legal authority, potential penalties and enforcement logistics and bring recommendations back to council.