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Charter Reform Working Group
MINUTES
March 20, 2008 at 10:30 a.m.
City Hall,1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Room 305
Present: Com Heinicke, Com Oka, Autumn O’Keefe, Laurie Graham, Rich Hybels, Hansu Kim,
John Lazar, Tone Lee, Charles Rathbone, Thomas G. Williams, Rich Schlackman, Michelle Allersma, Rick Wilson, Tom Owens, Greg Wagner, Heidi Machen, Jordanna Thigpen, Adam Millard-Ball, Pres Gillespie
Absent: None
1. Call to Order/Roll Call : Quorum
2. Adoption of Minutes from the February 19, 2008 Meeting: Adopted without objection.
3. Review and Report on Possible Peak Time Medallions and Other Service Orientated Changes to the Taxi Industry [DISSCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM]
Public Comment:
- Rich Hybels: No insurance or workers compensation would insure a peak-time cab. Also, the breakeven is only $8000. The $80.00 is the cost of the insurance and the car. If you throw in GPS dispatch that’s more.
- Laurie Graham: The shifts are 8 hours, then 13 hours.
- Com Heinicke: It would be two shifts. Gates would be split by hour.
- Rich Schlackman: How did you come up with these hours?
- Com Heinicke: Need based.
- Tone Lee: Can they go to the airport?
- Com Heinicke: Yes, and Jordanna was opposed to that.
- Tone Lee: Can there be a seniority preference for shifts?
- Com Heinicke: Yes, it could be.
- John Lazar: A group or a Color Scheme Holder can bid. Is there a limit on how many they can bid on? I think there should be a subcommittee. Also these cabs should be allowed if there are conventions. Also how do we address the problem of people not knowing when they are going to work?
- Rich Schlackman: There should be a subcommittee of people in the industry to work out the mechanics such as cost and liability insurance.
- Hansu Kim: There is no driving requirement?
- Com Heinicke: No.
- Rich Hybels: Why let companies buy them? Yellow will outbid everyone.
- Rich Schlackman: Could we consider a limit on the amount of permits that a Color Scheme Holder could bid on?
- Pres Gillespie: Has another city done this?
- Charles Rathbone: Toronto has a similar program.
- Barry Korengold: Would it be a higher gate?
- Com Heinicke: Yes.
- Jim Gillespie: Please clarify the involvement of 311.
- Carl Macmurdo: There’s a disparity in the need for cabs on Friday night versus Sunday evening. The large companies have the best resources to do this.
- Michael Spain: We haven’t taken this up at the Medallion Holders Association meetings. We should go the way of the NY model and have flag only cabs and limousines for calls only. We need a fleet oriented towards when someone needs a cab.
- Com Heinicke: They have to be full-service cabs that do flag and dispatch.
- Mark Gruberg: I support peak time permits on a conceptual basis. I support and individual driver, non-leasable permit. Much more flexibility in a single driver system. I am opposed to any auction system because only managed individuals get them. I am opposed to anything which would override Prop K, by allowing a Color Scheme Holder to get the permit that would override Prop K. We have the most progressive taxi system in the country.
- Barry Korengold: I am totally against the auction system and Color Scheme Holder holding the permit.
- Com Heinicke: If we sold a peak time medallion we would say you have it till you sell it or die. Then it would be very valuable. If we sold peak time permits it would sell for six figures. I do not favor selling medallions. A lending agent would make a lot of money in that instance. If we leave them then whoever pays the highest quarterly sum to SFMTA gets the permit.
- Ed Romero: I have two pre-k medallions. People used to have pride in their cabs.
- Laurie Graham: Would a peak time contract holder have to give up their peak time contract if they got a medallion?
- Com Heinicke: My gut reaction would be no.
- Tone Lee: We are very different than New York. This is designed for our city needs only. How much does it sell for?
- Dir Thigpen: $600,000.
- Hansu Kim: That is absolutely not true. A corporate permit sold for $700,000.
- Com Heinicke: Well it was a very close figure.
- Rich Hybels: If everyone was picking up radio calls we would need peak time permits.
- Tone Lee: 200 cabs are not enough. We need more than that.
- Com Oka : Where does a ramp taxi fit into this?
- Rich Hybels: I am concerned about workers compensation and liability. Yellow will take over peak time medallions.
- Hansu Kim: The only way I see this being viable is peak time permits given to color schemes. The city should have a few hundred more medallions on the street. I see many color schemes standing ready to provide town car services.
- Rich Schlackman: There are very few limousine companies that can provide green taxi vehicles.
- Adam Millard-Ball: We definitely have a deficit in service. Some money must go to the SFMTA. I have one proposal to simplify this even further. This should simply be issued to one driver. This avoids hassles and complaints.
- Thomas George Williams: I can see a fee for operating the permit, but not to go to medallion holders. We have to pick the corporations out of this picture. Regarding peak time and solving the neighborhood problems these are 2 different areas with two different solutions.
- Rich Schlackman: If people do not compromise then a private limo company will take over the cab industry in San Francisco.
- Pres Gillespie: We should use spares instead of peak time vehicles. I am deathly afraid of peak time permits.
4. Adjournment.
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