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Ely city officials moved Tuesday to ensure that parking spots next to two car charging stations are used for their intended purpose.
Upon recommendation from city clerk-treasurer Harold Langowski, the council voted to designate two parking spots in the public library lot for car charging purposes.
The vote comes after the public library board addressed the issue and found that it’s the council, and not the library board, that has authority over city parking lots.
Library staff have reported fielding complaints from people related to motorists taking up parking spots from those wishing to charge their electric vehicles at a pair of charging stations in the library lot.
“What we’ve found is people are leaving their vehicles for eight or 10 hours at a time and not allowing people to use those spots for charging,” said Langowski.
Langowski added that “my recommendation is to sign these for electric vehicle parking only with a two-hour time limit.”
Enforcement would be done similarly to the city’s enforcement of calendar and two-hour parking rules.
Council members asked about options including billing customers for the use of electricity, but Langowski indicated it wasn’t feasible.
In other business, the council: •Approved a residential rehabilitation loan for Morgan Sauls.
• Accepted Todd Crego’s resignation from both the Tree Board and the Parks and Recreation Commission.
• Agreed to advertise for paving and stormwater improvements on Conan Street from Eighth to 10th Avenue East, Ninth Avenue East from Harvey to White streets, and 10th Avenue from Conan to Pattison.
• Forwarded to the planning and zoning commission a recommendation that a right of way on East 10th Street from from South First Avenue East to South Third Avenue East be vacated.
• Authorized paving of several storm-washed-out areas including Lakeview Avenue, the alley between Central and First Avenue on James and Pattison streets, the Sheridan and Chapman alley behind Britton’s Cafe, and the edge of roadway on Washington Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenue East.
