Batavia City Council members made charging an electric vehicle in town cheaper while adding restrictions and fees for prolonged parking at charging stations.

Council members approved an ordinance in a unanimous vote during their Sept. 15 meeting to reduce the charging rates at EV stations within the city and to add loitering fees.

As approved, the cost to charge at Level 2 charging stations in Batavia was reduced from 40 cents to 25 cents per kWh. Batavia’s incoming Level 3 chargers, which work at a much faster rate, will cost 50 cents per kWh.

Batavia has a Level 2 station at the Government Center downtown and is currently installing Level 3 chargers at Batavia High School and another location yet to be determined. The charging stations at the high school are expected to be operational by the end of the month.

As approved, the ordinance allows for owners of EVs left at Batavia stations after they’re fully charged to be fined $1 per minute for parking, with a max fee of $120. That would kick in following a 30-minute grace period allowed for owners to move their EVs when they’re done charging.

Gas-powered vehicles parked at charging stations will be subject to $100 fines and can be towed, regardless of the amount of time they are parked.

EV charging is monitored through apps that alert owners once their vehicle is fully powered, which is when the grace period begins.

Batavia electric superintendent Steve Allen presented the discussion to Council members first at a Sept. 9 Committee of the Whole meeting, and again at meeting Sept. 15, where members approved the new rates and fees.

Council member Dustin Pieper suggested adding the cap to the loitering fee, to ensure no one gets charged an unreasonable amount in the case of an emergency or due to circumstances outside of their control.

The $1-per-minute fine “can lead to a pretty hefty charge over time,” Pieper said. “I think a $50 charge is already unpleasant enough. ... I think just having a cap would be a sensible choice.”

Pieper suggested identifying a reasonable time limit for vehicles left at a charging station at which point the city could have the vehicle towed. He also suggested adding signs at the charging stations to outline the new regulations and provide contact information for those with questions and issues.

Allen said the city staff has been in talks with the police department and is considering adding surveillance cameras to monitor the charging stations and help address those situations.

Council members Kevin Malone and Jim Fahrenbach were also in favor of Pieper’s suggestion to cap the loitering fee, and proposed the same fee the city imposes on those who improperly park in accessible spaces, which is $250.

“I think even if it’s not an emergency, if someone just plum forgets, I think we can set it at a rate that makes it hurt enough that they don’t forget again, but also isn’t us sort of price-gouging and trying to take advantage of a poor high school kid,” Malone said.

Council member Alan Wolff asked how the parking at charging stations would be monitored.

Allen said if an EV is left plugged in, the time would be shown on the charging equipment. If an owner unplugs a vehicle but leaves it parked there, that timing would have to be monitored through other surveillance measures.

Police Chief Eric Blowers said a state statute imposes a $75 fine for gas-powered vehicles that park at EV charging stations. He said municipalities can increase that fine to $100 and reserve the right to tow those vehicles at the owners’ expense.

Council members moved to approve the ordinance to adjust the charging rates; create the loitering fee, amended to include a $120 cap on fines; and increase fines for gas-powered vehicles parked at charging stations to $100.