CITY OF FREDERICK
City Hall - 101 N. Court Street
Minutes
TAXI CAB COMMISSION MEETING
12:00 Noon
Monday, March 8th , 2004 – City Hall, Room 214
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Present: Alderman Dave Lenhart; Alderman Bill
Hall; Alderman Donna Kuzemchak; Police Chief Dine; Lt. Tom Chase; Lynn Stimmel;
Jerry Wood; William Bowie; Kenneth Shapiro; Eileen Farrar
Item
1: Approval of the minutes for the
meeting of February 23rd, 2004.
Minutes
were approved as written.
Item
2: Taxi Stands
Alderman
Lenhart stated that the Downtown Frederick Partnership group and business
owners raised concerns about taxi stand locations on North Market Street due to
vandalism and loss of parking at night.
The Downtown Frederick Partnership group recommended locating the stands
in the three spaces next to the Brewer’s Alley Restaurant in the alley that
goes back to the parking deck with
signage on North Market Street that would indicate where the cab stands were
located. After a pilot program is in
place taxi stands could possibly be placed at Carrol Creek and next to the
Weinberg Center.
Motion: The commission was in favor of
eliminating the two taxicab stands previously discussed and relocating to a single taxicab stand in
the alley next to Brewer’s Alley for a period of 90 days for a pilot
project. Vote 3-0 in Favor. Alderman Ramsburg abstained.
Item
3: Review of the complete Taxicab
Ordinance
Mr.Shapiro
began a discussion on the taxicab ordinance that has been revised according to
the instructions by the commission. Mr.
Shapiro stated that this document did not have a lottery system included. Mr. Shapiro stated that this document is
divided up by Articles.
Article
I. Definitions
Section. 23-1. Definitions. New definitions added: City, Permit holder, Complaint, Respondent,
Taxicab Administrative Agency.
Article
II. Taxicab Commission
Section 23-3. Taxicab Commission.
(b)
A
fifth member has been added to the commission.
This person will be a citizen appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by
the Board of Aldermen.
(d)
This will be changed to say a quorum of the Commission shall be three
members instead of one.
Article
III. Taxicab Permits.
Section 23-4. Taxicab Permit – Generally.
(b)The date was
changed to state that each permit shall become effective July 1st
and expire on June 30th to concur with the fiscal year.
Section 23-6. Same-- Maximum Number
to be issued.
(a)
(b) A fifth member
has been added to the commission. This
person will be a citizen appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of
Aldermen.
(d) This will be changed to
say a quorum of the Commission shall be three members instead of one.
Article
III. Taxicab Permits.
Section
23-4. Taxicab Permit – Generally.
(b)The
date was changed to state that each permit shall become effective July 1st
and expire on June 30th to concur with the fiscal year.
Section
23-6. Same-- Maximum Number to be issued.
(a)The
wording shall state; Each year in accordance with the
provisions of this chapter, the commission may issue, or renew up to (67) permits, or (1) permit per one thousand (1,000) city residents, whichever shall be greater.
(b)
The
wording shall state; If, at any time the number of existing permits shall
exceed the greater of (67), or one (1) permit per one thousand (1000) city
residents, the commission shall not issue new permits.
Section 23-7. Same – Information
to be supplied by Applicant.
(b)
This
wording was added to include application fees. This wording was included for
fairness to everyone who wanted to apply. The wording states; The application
fee for an initial taxicab permit shall be fifty dollars ($50) and the renewal
shall be twenty-five dollars ($25) per year.
All fees shall be prepaid upon submission of the application and are
nonrefundable
Section 23-8. Same – Non Operating
Permits.
No
changes were made to this section.
Alderman Lenhart would like to add a section that addresses protection
from the use of taxi’s being used from other cities that have high mileage or
not in good operating condition. Alderman Lenhart wants to insure that the city
knows where the taxi originated from and how it was used previously.
Section 23-9. Same – Initial and
Renewal Fees.
Alderman
Lenhart asked for the language to incorporate information regarding the 32
permits on the waiting list and the $1000.00 fee.
Section 23-10. – Transfer of Taxicab
Permit.
No
changes were made.
Section 23-11. – Same- Display;
Inspection.
No
changes were made.
Section 23-12. – Replacement of
Lost Taxicab Permit Card.
No
changes were made.
No
changes made
Section 23-14. - Application
No
changes made
Section
23-15. – Applicant to be fingerprinted.
(a)The fee amount
will be changed to include the cost of a criminal records check by the State of
Maryland.
Section 23-16. – Applicant to Undergo
Physical Examination.
No
changes made.
Section 23-17. – Qualifications
for Taxicab Operator’s License Applicants
No
changes made
Section 23-18. – Duty to Provide
Information.
No
changes made
Section 23-19. – Fees.
A
fee list schedule will be added as an appendix.
Section 23-20. – Issuance;
Expiration; Renewal.
Fiscal
year will be used for this section.
Section 23-21. – Form of License
Card; Display of License Card
This
section will also state that all information will be displayed in one area.
Section 23-22. – Duties of
Taxicab Operators
(
c)
three days will be changed to state (48) hours.
Alderman
Lenhart would like to add the wording to include a smoke free cab.
(d)
This section will be deleted.
(f
) The addition of the word or by
route proffered by the fare.
Section 23-23. – Prohibited Acts
of Taxicab Operator
No
changes made
Section 23-24. – Refusal of
Taxcab Commission When Licensee Leaves Service of Taxicab Owner.
No
changes made.
Section 23-25. – Arrest of
Taxicab Operator, Right of Hearing
This
section will be reworded with the suggestion of the administration agency with
regard to the time limit and suspension of licenses.
Section 23-26. – Notice to
Taxicab commission When Licensee Leaves Service of Taxicab Owner.
No
changes made.
Section
23-27. – Insurance Requirements.
Ms.
Stimmel requested that the language coordinate with the language in section
23-28. in that all insurance
requirements read the same.
Section
23-28. – Withdrawing Taxicabs from Public Service; replacement of
vehicles.
New
language will be added to this section.
The intent of this section is to keep vehicles on the road.
Section
23-29. – Minimum Hours of Operation
(b)The wording
will be changed to say (20) percent of its fleet instead of (40) percent must
be operated (7) days a week and (24) twenty-four hours a day.
Section 23-30- “Taxicab” to appear on Vehicles; Distinctive Color Schemes or insignia.
This
section was not discussed at this meeting but will be discussed at a future
meeting.
Section
23-31 – Taxicab Numbers.
This section was added to
state- Taxicab numbers shall correspond with the numbered printed on the permit
issued to the permit holder
and be the same vehicle specified in compliance with the provisions of the
Section 23-8 of this chapter.
Mr. William Bowie stated that he would like to see a consultant be
involved with the creation of the
taxicab ordinance and feels that the new ordinance creates a hardship
for him.
Alderman Ramsburg stated
that the commission has been in contact with consultants at previous meetings and
asked Mr. Bowie to express to the commission what problems or concerns he has
with the new ordinance.
Mr. Shapiro asked Mr. Bowie
to be specific in which portions of the ordinance he was not in agreement with
rather than a blanket disapproval of the entire ordinance. Mr. Bowie agreed to call Mr. Shapiro.
Mr. Wood stated that he felt
that the process was going in the right direction, but requested the new fare
increase go into effect before the ordinance is approved to help offset the new
cost of fees.
Alderman Lenhart stated that
he would like to have the ordinance and the rate increase go on the Mayor and
Board of Alderman workshop on March 31st, 2004
Minutes submitted by Eileen
Farrar
Next meeting will be held on
March 15th, 2004 in the Boardroom, City Hall.