Council Public Safety Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Public Safety Committee met on January 10, 2012, at 1:00 p.m., with Diane Lawless presiding. The committee addressed three agenda items during the meeting, taking one vote and hearing four public comments.

The committee considered the Taxi Cab Ordinance (CM Lawless, i-31), which was deferred for further consideration. The Emergency Management Long-Range Strategic Plan with the Public Safety Link Recommendation for FY12 was approved by the committee. Additionally, the committee received an informational update on items referred to the committee.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on January 10, 2012:

• Diane Lawless
• Doug Martin
• Chuck Ellinger
• Chris Ford
• Julian Beard
• Bill Farmer
• Kevin Stinnett
• K.C. Crosbie
• Jay McChord
• Peggy Henson
• Andrea James

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Motion to Defer Taxi Cab Ordinance

The body voted to postpone the Taxi Cab Ordinance for one month. 1:19:23

The motion was made by Julian Beard and seconded by Chuck Ellinger. The vote was conducted by voice vote and passed unanimously, with all members present voting in favor. The following members voted for the motion:

• Diane Lawless
• Doug Martin
• Chuck Ellinger
• Chris Ford
• Julian Beard
• Bill Farmer
• Kevin Stinnett
• K.C. Crosbie
• Jay McChord
• Peggy Henson

No members voted against the motion, and there were no abstentions.

The deferral was approved to allow time to incorporate additional provisions discussed during the meeting, including drug testing requirements, sex offender background checks, and enforcement of gypsy cab provisions.

Public Comment

Four speakers addressed the council regarding proposed changes to taxi fleet regulations.

Greg Kajalski 26:11, owner of Mr. Taxi, opposed reducing the minimum cab fleet size from 25 to 10 vehicles. He argued that operating a full-service taxi company with fewer vehicles is not economically feasible, citing the necessity of maintaining 24/7 dispatch services, conducting weekly vehicle inspections, and supporting administrative staff.

Ray Shogun 45:55, co-owner of Mr. Taxi, presented a University of Missouri study in opposition to the proposed fleet size reduction. He argued that lowering the minimum fleet size would undermine full-service operations and result in deteriorating service levels, emphasizing the economic and operational challenges involved in maintaining service quality with a smaller fleet.

Bob Babbage 1:00:44, representing Yellow Cab, supported maintaining the current 25-cab minimum standard. He recommended implementing mandatory drug testing and sex offender registry checks for drivers. Babbage cited the University of Missouri study and referenced past regulatory failures in opposing the proposed changes.

Will McGinnis 1:13:58, owner of Lex Taxi, supported lowering the minimum fleet size to 10 vehicles or potentially as low as 5. He criticized the current driver leasing fee structure, which he identified as $450 per week. McGinnis argued that increasing driver transfer and application fees would create additional financial hardship for drivers who are already struggling financially.

The public comment period reflected significant disagreement within the taxi industry regarding fleet size requirements, with established operators arguing for maintaining higher minimums to ensure service quality and operational viability, while at least one operator advocated for lower barriers to entry and criticized existing fee structures as burdensome to drivers.

Contested Items

Reduction of Minimum Fleet Size from 25 to 10

A significant point of contention during the meeting involved a proposal to reduce the minimum fleet size requirement from 25 vehicles to 10. This change sparked heated discussion among attendees. Cab company owners opposed the reduction, arguing that it would undermine their ability to maintain full-service operations and questioned the economic viability of smaller fleets. Conversely, supporters of the proposal emphasized that the reduction would increase competition in the market and create opportunities for small business operators to enter the industry.

Enforcement of Gypsy Cab Regulations

Another major area of dispute centered on the enforcement of gypsy cab regulations. Multiple speakers, including Greg Kajalski and Will McGinnis, voiced frustration regarding the current effectiveness of enforcement efforts against illegal gypsy cab operations. Despite the proposed ordinance including specific provisions designed to address violations of gypsy cab laws, these speakers expressed concern that existing enforcement mechanisms were insufficient and ineffective. This community opposition highlighted a gap between the regulatory framework and its practical implementation.

Taxi Cab Ordinance — CM Lawless (i-31)

0:00

The committee discussed a proposed ordinance to amend existing taxi cab regulations. The ordinance included several substantive changes to current requirements:

Proposed Changes

• Reduction of minimum fleet size from 25 to 10 vehicles
• Requirement for biannual independent mechanical inspections
• Expansion of the definition of "taxicab" to include services involving non-monetary compensation
• Enhancement of enforcement mechanisms

Key Participants

The discussion involved Rick Curtis, Greg Kajalski, Ray Shogun, Will McGinnis, and Bob Babbage.

Issues Discussed

The committee debated three primary concerns regarding the proposed amendments:

• Economic feasibility: Questions were raised about whether the proposed changes were economically viable for taxi cab operators
• Public safety: Concerns were expressed about how the amendments would affect public safety standards
• Fairness to existing companies: Discussion focused on the impact of the proposed changes on currently operating taxi cab companies

Outcome

The ordinance was deferred, meaning the committee did not take final action at this meeting and postponed further consideration to a future date.

Emergency Management Long-Range Strategic Plan — Public Safety Link Recommendation

Pat Duggar, Director of Emergency Management, presented a five-year strategic plan for the jurisdiction's emergency management capabilities. [timestamp: 32:00-44:00]

Plan Focus Areas

The strategic plan addressed five core emergency management functions:

• Planning
• Preparedness
• Response
• Recovery
• Mitigation

Key Initiatives

The presentation highlighted several priority needs and recommendations:

• Modernization of the emergency operations center
• Improved resource management systems
• Enhanced public education and awareness programs
• Addressing critical vulnerabilities, including nerve agent storage at the Bluegrass Army Depot

Outcome

The Emergency Management Long-Range Strategic Plan with the Public Safety Link recommendation was approved.

Update on Items Referred to Committee (45)

During this agenda item, the committee provided an informational update regarding items that had been referred to the committee. However, no specific update was provided on the referred items at this time.

The committee acknowledged the need to follow up on pending matters but did not discuss any individual item in detail during this meeting. The outcome of this agenda item was informational in nature, with no substantive action taken or decisions made regarding the referred items.