Corte Madera council introduces ordinance to regulate town EV charging stalls, rescinds overstay fee

The Corte Madera Town Council on July 1 introduced an ordinance to add town-owned electric-vehicle charging spaces to the municipal no-parking regulations and adopted a resolution rescinding an overstay fee that staff could not implement through the station vendor software.

Council members heard from Phoebe (Climate Action Director/Adaptation Coordinator) and town staff about why the change is needed and what enforcement would look like. “Good evening, mayor and council members. I'll be presenting this item this evening on EV charging space regulations and update to the fee schedule,” Phoebe said, outlining technical limits and next steps.

Why it matters: the town installed its first public EV chargers in January and staff say the municipal code currently lacks a clear enforcement mechanism for vehicles that occupy EV charging stalls without actively charging or that remain after posted time limits. Staff recommended revising Chapter 10.40 (Vehicles and Traffic) to treat EV charging stalls as regulated no-parking areas and to rescind the overstay fee resolution while retaining the base per-kilowatt-hour charging rate.

What staff told council: Town staff reported five single-port 32-amp chargers at Town Hall (three reserved primarily for town vehicles and two for the public) and two dual-port chargers at the Pixley Avenue Town Park lot. A PG&E panel upgrade is underway that staff said could take 18 to 24 months and would allow higher amperage and the potential to add more stations. Staff said the town adopted a 42'-per-kilowatt-hour base rate (resolution 42-2024) to cover operating costs and included a fee-adjustment mechanism that authorizes the public works director to align fees with operating costs.

Vendor and enforcement limits: staff told council that Blink, the town's charging vendor, could not simultaneously implement all elements of the previously adopted overstay fee (the four-hour free window, a by-the-minute penalty, and an overnight pause). Because Blink could not enforce the overnight pause and minute-by-minute penalties together, staff recommended rescinding the overstay fee and instead adopting code changes that allow the town to cite vehicles parked in EV charging spaces when they are not actively charging or when they exceed posted time limits. Phoebe said signage and striping would be improved and that staff planned a warning period before citations were issued.

Council discussion and public comment: council members asked about deterrence and staff responded that clearer posting should reduce misuse; one council member suggested staff report back on Blink's specific capabilities and alternatives. An online commenter asked unrelated questions about the town's shoreline adaptation planning; no in-person speaker objected to the proposed ordinance.

Decision and next steps: the council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance amending Chapter 10.40 and to adopt Resolution No. 30-2025 rescinding Resolution No. 42-2024. Staff said the ordinance will return for a second reading Aug. 5 and, if approved again, would go into effect 30 days afterward. In the interim staff will: order Caltrans-standard EV charging signage ("No parking except for EV charging" and a 4-hour limit between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.); update striping; provide temporary explanatory signage; and provide a warning period before issuing citations. Enforcement will be by town code enforcement using existing notice processes; the overstay collection by software is paused until either vendor capability changes or the council directs otherwise.

Context and limits of this coverage: the article reports only actions and statements made during the July 1 council meeting. It does not assume future vendor changes or funding outcomes not described at the meeting.