Title
Amendment to Vehicles for Hire Ordinance, Chapter 28 Code of Ordinances (B)
Explanation
The Public Safety Committee held five public meetings to discuss the August 9, 2004 referral on taxi cab companies' safety violations. The committee heard from citizens, police, finance, city attorney and airport staff, and subsequently a subcommittee of this group met in conjunction with the Public Safety Committee. The subcommittee presented proposed recommendations to the current Chapter 28 Vehicles for Hire ordinance and an executive summary outlining these proposals to the Public Safety Committee.
After thorough discussion, the Committee agreed that the proposed amendments and subcommittee recommendations would create better enforcement penalties for violators, and would create an application and permit process to improve the quality and equitable business practice of Gainesville's taxi service, while focusing on protection of health, safety and welfare of the residents and visitors to the community. The Committee also supports the recommendation for creating a medallion or other visible decal system that readily identifies a taxi's compliance with the franchising and permitting process and the issuance and collection of airport decals.
Fiscal
There is no fiscal impact to the City, however, the Finance Department is recommending that the minimal cost of the decal be passed on to the customer in the form of a permit fee, collected by the Finance Department, along with the other required fees.
Recommendation
The City Commission 1) authorize the City Attorney to draft and the Clerk of the Commission to advertise an ordinance amending City of Gainesville Ordinance Chapter 28, in substantially the same form as the back-up, 2) direct staff to refine the permitting process to incorporate the recommendations, and 3) remove this item from the Public Safety Committee referral list.