Milton council approves pilot for solar charging stations, asks for policies to limit misuse

Milton City Council voted unanimously to move forward with a pilot installation of solar charging stations in public places, with policy guardrails to reduce the risk of long-term loitering. Police Chief Jennifer Frank told council the devices could be a useful public amenity — especially for youth at parks — but suggested design and policy choices, such as time limits and site hours, to reduce misuse.

"I think they're gonna be a great addition to our community," Chief Frank said, while also recommending time limits and noting parks already have closing hours that can be enforced. Staff and council discussed technical limits — units are largely self-contained and may not provide a hard remote cutoff — so members asked staff to consult manufacturers about internal timers or other design options and to draft a policy that pairs the installations with park rules and loitering prohibitions. The motion to proceed with the pilot and accompanying policy work passed unanimously.