KINGSTON – Ulster County has nine electric vehicle charging stations at various county facilities, including the county administration building in Kingston, which are available, for free, to drivers who have the appropriate vehicles. The problem is there is no clear policy governing use.
Currently, there is no fee, but the wording of a county legislature resolution notes that policy is “still being vetted.”
Legislator Carl Belfiglio said as currently structured, the policy invites abuse.
“When someone comes into the county parking lot to charge their vehicle, before the amendment, there was no time limit,” Belfiglio noted. “So, they could come in at 7 a.m. get a ticket to come in here, leave at 7 p.m., never pay for parking, get free electric and hog the whole electric charging station for the whole day.”
Part of that is because parking attendants, who would normally collect a fee for using the lot, go off duty at the end of the normal work day, and the gate is left open.
An amendment to the proposed open ended resolution was approved, setting a two-hour limit for using a charging space.
The amended resolution was approved with only one ‘no’ vote.
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