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Council directs staff to lower public EV charging rates, set 30-minute grace period
Summary
City Council’s committee of the whole told staff to draft an ordinance reducing the city's Level 2 charging rate to $0.25 per kWh, setting Level 3 at $0.50 per kWh, establishing a 30-minute grace period and a $1-per-minute fee after that; staff will return with an ordinance and usage data.
The Batavia City Council Committee of the Whole on Sept. 9 directed staff to prepare an ordinance to lower public electric-vehicle charging rates and to adopt time-based fees designed to keep spaces available.
A staff member proposing the change said, “I would like to reduce that charging rate to about 25¢” per kilowatt-hour for the city's Level 2 charger at City Hall and recommended 50¢ per kilowatt-hour for Level 3 fast chargers. The staff member also proposed a 10-minute grace period and a dollar-per-minute fee after that; councilors asked for a longer grace period and staff later recorded direction for a 30-minute grace period and $1-per-minute after the grace window.
Why it matters: Councilors said the current fee of 40¢ per kWh (set in 2018) is high compared with neighboring communities and may discourage use of the city's chargers. Councilors also emphasized that the fee structure should discourage vehicles from occupying a charger after they finish charging so others can use it.
The committee discussed practical details and monitoring. Councilmember Dustin asked that staff “report back on observed behaviors through the app,” and staff agreed to provide usage data. Steve, a city staff member who pulled usage numbers, said the City Hall charger generated $202 in August and delivered 519 kilowatt-hours that month at the existing rate.
Council feedback varied. Some members argued for a longer grace period to accommodate diners or school-related parking, suggesting 20 to 45 minutes; others said 30 minutes would be reasonable for fast chargers downtown and at the high school parking area. Staff confirmed the app can provide usage data and said rates and grace periods can be adjusted after monitoring.
Formal direction and next steps: The committee asked staff to bring back a full ordinance next week with the following parameters: Level 2 (City Hall) at $0.25 per kWh; Level 3 at $0.50 per kWh; a 30-minute grace period; and a $1-per-minute charge after the grace period. Staff confirmed it had the direction and said it would report usage and observed user behavior periodically and could adjust fees if patterns require it.
Council members noted fast chargers typically complete a large portion of charging in roughly 30 minutes for many vehicles and that apps already let drivers compare local prices. Several councilors added that staff should monitor high-use times (for example, high school events) and report back if the post-grace charges produce punitive bills for residents.
Ending: Staff will draft the ordinance for council consideration and return with monitoring data so council can revisit rates or grace periods if needed.
