title
VEHICLES FOR HIRE ORDINANCE (B)
Ordinance No. 0-06-92
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville amending Chapter 28 Vehicles for Hire by regulating taxi service within the City of Gainesville; amending Section 28-1 Occupational license required to reference municipal boundary; amending Section 28-2 definitions; amending Section 28-3 to make it unlawful for a company to engage in the vehicle for hire business without a franchise; making it unlawful to operate a vehicle for hire under the auspices of a company that does not have a valid franchise and amending the application process for franchise and franchise owner; creating a new Section 28-3.5 relating to service at the Gainesville Regional Airport and the setting of the rates and charges for airport decals; amending Section 28-4(g) to reference Gainesville Alachua County Regional Airport Rules and Regulations; amending Section 28-5 providing franchise duration, specifying annual report requirements and penalties; amending Section 28-6 by specifying time periods for franchise revocation; amending Section 28-8 by requiring unique franchise color scheme; permanently affixed signage, permanently affixed medallions and a lighted roof-top sign; creating a new Section 28-8.5 by providing vehicle for hire driver requirements; renaming Section 28-10; amending Section 28-11 related to insurance requirements; amending Section 28-12(e) relating to non-discrimination by adding sexual orientation; amending Section 28-14 by providing authority to the manager/designee to remove vehicles from service for safety reasons and delineating specific equipment requirements; creating a new Section 28-14.5 related to equipment and safety requirements; amending Section 28-20 related to soliciting passengers by deleting the reference to railway and adding airport facility; amending Appendix A fees and charges related to vehicles for hire; providing directions to the codifier; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause and providing an effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance as amended.
explanation
On April 11, 2005 the City Commission authorized the City Attorney to draft amendments to the Vehicles for Hire Ordinance and directed staff to refine the permitting process and recommendations that had come from the Public Safety Committee discussions that began in August 2004. As a result of this referral from the City Commission, Gainesville Police Department staff worked with the legal department and other city departments in reviewing and updating the Vehicle for Hire ordinance.
On August 14, 2006 the City Commission authorized the City Attorney to draft and the Clerk of the Commission to advertise an ordinance amending Section 28 and Appendix A of the Gainesville Code of Ordinances as recommended by the Public Safety Committee with the addition of sexual orientation to the non-discrimination section and to incorporate the changes into the permitting process, including education to the Vehicle for Hire owners and drivers.
Because of extensive modifications to the ordinance, coordination of language with the airport, andthe delay in acquisition of the medallion and driver permit documents, it is necessary to delay implementation of some provisions of the ordinance until the next registration cycle which is October 1, 2007. Additionally, the registration packets for the current year, October 1, 2006, have already gone out to the vehicle for hire companies.