Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts 4‑hour parking limit at city EV chargers, asks staff to explore metering for future stations
Summary
After complaints about drivers occupying city electric-vehicle chargers for extended periods, the council adopted an ordinance amendment imposing a time-limited parking restriction (4 hours) at city EV charging stations and directed staff to explore pay-and-move or billing options for new fast chargers.
The Guadalupe City Council on Jan. 28 adopted new parking restrictions for city-owned electric‑vehicle charging stations, limiting parking at the public chargers to four hours.
Council members said they had received complaints that vehicles were occupying charging stalls for long periods — sometimes overnight — preventing others from using public chargers. Staff explained the city’s existing chargers are relatively slow and some locations (for example, the Veterans Memorial lot) close at midnight; leaving cars for many hours effectively blocks access for most of the day.
City staff and the police chief recommended a time-limited rule; council discussed four-, six- and eight-hour limits. Staff noted new charging equipment planned at the Amtrak station will be faster and will include billing capabilities; for the older, existing chargers staff and the chief said a 4-hour limit struck a balance between giving users useful charge time and enabling turnover.
The council adopted the resolution with edited language setting a four-hour maximum parking time at the city’s existing public EV charging stalls and authorized staff to pursue options to meter or charge for use at future installations with faster chargers. Staff said enforcement would initially be by citation; towing was discussed but staff said towing capacity and a broader citywide towing policy remain under development.
Council votes recorded four ayes; one member was absent. Staff said signage installation and enforcement procedures will follow the council’s direction.
