By Hasso Hering
Albany Democrat-Herald | Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2008 12:00 am
If you ride in a licensed taxi cab in Albany, you can be pretty sure that the owner has liability insurance. But that's about all the city license means, the city council learned Wednesday.
The council took no action on a staff recommendation to repeal the city's taxi-licensing ordinance. Members who spoke agreed that even the limited licensing requirement offers passengers some protection.
Councilors Ralph Reid Jr. and Floyd Collins said they would favor stiffer licensing requirements, but the council made no immediate move in that direction. The issue is likely to get more discussion later, though no date was set.
Albany has five licensed cab companies, according to Stewart Taylor, finance director.
In return for registering a name with the state and providing proof of insurance, the city issues stickers to be placed in the rear window of each vehicle.
The city staff had proposed doing away with the requirement on the grounds that it didn't accomplish much but took staff time and might expose the city to liability. But in response to a question, Taylor couldn't say just how much staff time it took.
Three taxi company operators or employees asked the council to keep the ordinance in effect. One said that insurance companies check out drivers' criminal histories and accident records before issuing policies and thus the requirement offers some protection.
Joel Fosdick, a taxi driver and former Linn County commissioner, said the city law is a form of consumer protection against fly-by-night operators. "It would be wrong to repeal this ordinance," he said.
City Attorney Jim Delapoer suggested the city either get out of cab licensing or get fully into it.
Taylor told the council that city business licenses, such as the cab license, typically are intended to raise revenue, not to regulate anything. Albany has no city licensing requirement for other businesses.
The council also:
• Voted to add 78 properties to the Monteith National Historic District, on its southwest side. The move should encourage the preservation of residences there, planner Anne Catlin said.
• Gave final approval to Fabian Estates, a subdivision of 11 lots on 4.5 acres in North Albany.
• Amended but did not raise building fees. Reid objected; he wants the fees raised now rather than later.
• Heard from Albany builder Mike Quinn, who said his application to be appointed to the public safety commission was rejected because he's not a "resident" of the city. He lives outside the city limits but considers himself a longtime Albany resident and asked the council to better define the term.
• Agreed to start negotiations for a new Comcast cable franchise in the city.