* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. DISTRICT A [00:00:01] AND JOINING US ONLINE IS COUNCIL MEMBER [Regulatory and Neighborhood Affairs Committee] CAROLYN EVAN CHABA FROM DISTRICT D, AND WE ARE ALSO JOINED BY STAFF FROM DISTRICT H CARLOS CIRO'S OFFICE. WE ARE GOING TO, WE HAVE JUST ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY, AND IT IS, UM, A PRESENTATION FROM ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR KATHERINE BRUNING ON PROPOSED REVISIONS TO CHAPTER 46 RELATED TO VEHICLES FOR HIRE COUNCIL MEMBERS. PLEASE HOLD YOUR QUESTIONS TILL AFTER THE PRESENTATION, AND WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER WHO'S SIGNED UP BEFORE YESTERDAY'S 5:00 PM DEADLINE. SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO WELCOME KATHERINE B BRUNING TO PRESENT THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THERE WE GO. THE PRESENTATION I HAVE TODAY ARE ABOUT REVISIONS TO CHAPTER 46. THESE ARE REVISIONS THAT IN THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE VEHICLE FOR HIRE INDUSTRY AND WITH COVID THE PANDEMIC, JUST EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, WE HAVE, UM, WORKED WITH THEM TO TRY TO PUT SOME LITTLE TINY CHANGES IN THAT MIGHT HELP THE INDUSTRY A LITTLE BIT. AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT THEY'VE REQUESTED THAT THEY SAID WOULD BE TO THEIR BENEFIT. SO NEXT PAGE, CHAPTER 46 REGULATES THE VEHICLES FOR HIRE INDUSTRY, WHICH INCLUDES TAXI, CABS, LIMOUSINES, CHARTER SIGHTSEEING, VEHICLES, LOW SPEED SHUTTLES, AND PETTY CABS. BASED ON THE INDUSTRY REQUEST AND SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT OCCURRED DURING THE 87TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE CITY'S PRESENTING SOME PROPOSED REVISIONS. THE FOUR REVISIONS WE'RE PRESENTING ARE TAXI CABS, AND THAT'S TO ALLOW TAXI CABS TO CHARGE A FUEL SURCHARGE. PETTY CABS REVISE THE PERMIT, RENEWAL DATE CHAUFFEUR LIMOUSINES UPON SIGNAGE, UPDATE SIGNAGE REGULATIONS FOR 15 OR LESS PASSENGER VANS AND LOW SPEED SHUTTLES TO UPDATE THE REGULATIONS TO CONFORM WITH THE LEGISLATION. SO THE FIRST THING WE'RE PROPOSING IS A FUEL SURCHARGE. THE FUEL SURCHARGE, WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS THE TAXI CABS TO CHARGE A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPENDING ON WHAT THE AVERAGE RATE HAS BEEN OVER THE PRIOR QUARTER. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN THE GASOLINE PRICE GOES ABOVE $3 A GALLON, WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY IMPACTED BY THIS COST INCREASE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. AND THEY HAVE TO THEN ADD IN THE FACT THAT UBER AND LYFT ARE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND RAISE THEIR PRICES TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT CHANGE AND, UM, ALLOW FOR THE FLUCTUATION OF THE PRICES WHERE THE TAXI DEC CAB RATES ARE CAPPED. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT WHEN GAS IS $3 OR LESS, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A FUEL SURCHARGE, BUT WHEN IT'S $3 AND 1 CENT TO $3 AND 50 CENTS, IT WOULD BE A 50 CENT SURCHARGE PER TRIP. THEN WHEN IT'S 3 51 TO $4, IT WOULD BE A $1 CHARGE PER TRIP. AND THEN FOR EACH INCREMENT OVER $4, WE WOULD ADD ANOTHER 50 CENTS INCREMENT. UM, THE WAY WE CALCULATE THIS IS IT'S BASED ON THE AVERAGE PRICE PER GALLON OF UNLEADED GAS BASED ON THE AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION DAILY FUEL GAUGE REPORT FOR HOUSTON, WHEN REQUIRED, THE FUEL SURCHARGE WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE AT THE BEGINNING OF A QUARTER, AND IT'LL BE BASED ON THE AVERAGE PRICING FOR THE PRIOR THREE MONTHS. UM, THE PERMITEE WILL BE REQUIRED TO POST SIGNAGE IN THEIR VEHICLE TO THE EFFECT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE CHARGED. NOW SINCE WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS BEING POTENTIALLY BEING ON COUNCIL AGENDA ON MAY 18TH, OUR PROPOSAL IS TO, UM, IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY AND WE WILL DO IT BASED ON OUR DATA FROM JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH, WHICH WAS $3 AND 21 CENTS AVERAGE FIELD CHARGE. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A 50 CENTS SURCHARGE. THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THE END OF THE SECOND QUARTER, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, AND THEN WE'LL RECALCULATE IT FOR JULY 1ST. PROPOSED REVISIONS FOR PETTY CABS. PETTY CABS. WE'RE WANTING TO MOVE THE RENEWAL DATE TO A DIFFERENT TIME OF THE YEAR. THIS, THIS IS FOR THEM AND FOR US TO EASE OUR OPERATIONS. RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE RENEWED ANNUALLY ON OR BEFORE MAY 1ST. WELL, THE INDUSTRY'S ASKED US IF WE COULD MOVE IT TO FEBRUARY 1ST, AND IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE BECAUSE WITH THE RODEO STARTING IN FEBRUARY, AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, THEY'RE COMING IN, THEY'RE HAVING TO GET RENEWED DURING THEIR BUSIEST PERIOD. IT'S LIKE THEIR BUSIEST SEASON. [00:05:01] AND THE LAST THING AND THEY WANT TO DO IS TAKE THEIR PETTY CABS OUTTA OPERATION TO COME UP AND HAVE US INSPECT 'EM AND, AND DO ALL OF THAT. SO IT ALLOWS THEM TO BE PERMITTED BEFORE THEIR REALLY BUSY SEASON OF SPRING AND SUMMER AND FALL WITH THE RODEO ASTROS GAMES, ALL THE DIFFERENT FESTIVALS AND THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN, IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER. SO IT ALSO WILL MOVE IT TO WHERE I DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CONFLICT WITH THE RENEWALS FOR THE TAXI CABS. SO IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR THE PETTY CABS AND FOR US. SO THE OTHER THING IS, LAST TIME WE CHANGED CHAPTER 46, WE REMOVED A ONE YEAR WAITING PERIOD FOR REAPPLICATION AFTER REVOCATION. AND THEN THIS ONE IS JUST A HOUSEKEEPING, WE NEED TO CLEAN THAT UP. UM, THE THIRD CHANGE IS CHAUFFEUR LIMOUSINES. CHAUFFEUR. LIMOUSINES INCLUDE PASSENGER VANS THAT ARE 15 OR LESS. UM, BASICALLY 15 OR LESS PASSENGERS IN A VAN. CURRENT REGULATIONS DOES NOT ALLOW ANY SIGNAGE ON A CHARE LIMOUSINE. WELL, WHAT THE INDUSTRY HAS COME BACK IS THEY'VE REQUESTED IF THEY COULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT THEIR COMPANY NAME, THEIR LOGO, THEIR PHONE NUMBER, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THEM ON THESE 15 PASSENGER OR LESS VANS, NOT ON WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY THINK OF AS A LIMO, THE BLACK CAR, THE SUVS, BUT ON THE VANS, BECAUSE WHAT THEY'VE RUN INTO IS WHEN THEY START WORKING TO GET CONTRACTS WITH OTHER HOTELS OR WITH BUSINESSES AND THEIR PICKING UP AND TAKING FROM THE AIRPORT AND THEY'RE DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, IT'S PART OF THEIR CONTRACT IS THAT THEY'RE NEEDING TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION ON THEIR VANS. THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK AROUND IT, BUT IT, IT'S A REQUEST AND IT, AND THIS WAS A GOOD TIME TO JUST GO AHEAD AND FIX THIS TO HELP THEM OUT. AGAIN, THIS WAS TO HELP THE INDUSTRY OUT IN THEIR NEGOTIATING PROCESSES WHEN THEY ARE DOING CONTRACTS. THE, UM, NEXT CHANGE IS THE LOW SPEED SHUTTLE. IN, UM, THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE WAS AN UPDATE THAT IMPACTED LOW SPEED SHUTTLES AND IT REALLY IMPACTED US WITH OUR ORDINANCE. 'CAUSE OUR ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN TO WHERE GOLF CARTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE A LOW SPEED SHUTTLE. WELL, AFTER THE STATE LAW CHANGED, SO BEFORE THAT, THE VEHICLES THAT MET ALL THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD 500, UM, SERIES OF REGULATIONS WERE LICENSED AS ROAD WORTHY VEHICLES BY THE STATE. AFTER THIS CHANGE, THEY HAVE MOVED THAT TO THE GOLF CART CATEGORY. SO WE WERE CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE IN THAT THE VEHICLES THAT UNTIL LAST YEAR WERE ALLOWED. AND NOW THEY'RE NOT BECAUSE NOW THEY'VE BEEN REDEFINED BY THE STATE. SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO SAY IF WE HAVE A GOLF CART, THEY HAVE TO MEET ALL THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD. SO WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE, BUT WE'RE ALLOWING VEHICLES THAT WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH OVER THE LAST YEAR ON. TECHNICALLY WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PERMIT YOU, BUT IN REALITY YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PERMITTED. SO THIS CLEANS THAT UP FOR US. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO WELCOME TO THE CHAMBER COUNCIL MEMBER DAVID ROBINSON. WE'VE BEEN JOINED ONLINE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MICHAEL KOSH. WE HAVE STAFF FROM DISTRICT C COUNCIL, MEMBER CAYMAN'S, OFFICE, DISTRICT E MAYOR, PROTE MARTIN'S OFFICE, DISTRICT G COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN'S OFFICE, DISTRICT K VICE MAYOR, PRO TEM, MARTHA CASTEX, TATUM'S OFFICE, AND, UM, AT LARGE ONE MIKE KNOX'S OFFICE. SO, WELCOME EVERYBODY. AND FIRST QUESTION IS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER KOOSH, YOU'RE MUTED. COUNCIL MEMBER. OH, IT LOOKS LIKE HE GOT BOOTED FROM THE MEETING, SO WE'LL WAIT FOR HIM TO LOG BACK ON. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, ALLOWING FOR THE GAS ON THE, UH, THE GAS CHARGE ON CABS. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CABS. I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT IS OUR CAB UNIVERSE NOW I MATTER. WHAT IS OUR, HOW MANY CABS DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY? HOW MANY CABS DO WE HAVE? GIMME JUST A SECOND. I'LL PULL ALL THAT. UM, WE JUST HAD OUR RENEWALS FOR CABS AND WE HAVE, UM, JUST A SECOND, LET ME FIND THE RIGHT SPREADSHEET. WE HAVE ABOUT 698, I BELIEVE. OH, 648. 648 CALVES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. OKAY, GREAT. COUNCIL MEMBER KUBOSH, I SEE YOU'RE BACK ON. GO AHEAD. YES. IN REFERENCE TO THE, UH, SURCHARGE FOR THE CAB, YOU SAID IT WOULD PROBABLY BE 50 CENTS. IS THIS, [00:10:01] IS THIS PER TRIP? PER TRIP? YES, SIR. PER MILE, PER TRIP. SO IT'S CALCULATED PER TRIP? YES, SIR. SO AS SOON AS THEY TURN THE, UH, THE METER ON 50 CENTS WILL APPEAR, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO CHARGE THAT ADDITIONAL 50 CENTS? YES, SIR. OKAY. AND ON THE 15 PASSENGER, UH, VEHICLES, UH, THE, UM, THE VANS, UH, IT, IT'S OPTIONAL THAT THEY PUT 'EM ON. THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT 'EM ON THERE, BUT IT WOULD BE OPTIONAL IF THEY WANTED TO PUT 'EM ON. RIGHT. IT'LL BE OPTIONAL. IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY CAME TO US AND REQUESTED BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WOULD HELP THEM OUT, BUT IT'S OPTIONAL. IF THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT IT ON THERE, THAT'S FINE AS WELL. IT'S NOT REQUIRED SIGNAGE. DID HE, DID WE LOSE HIM AGAIN? OKAY. YEAH, NO, I, I WAS DONE. OKAY. OKAY, GREAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. NOT SEEING ANY, WE WILL GO TO PUBLIC SPEAKER MELISSA MCGEE WITH Z TRIPP. HIT STAR SIX TO UNMUTE AND YOU CAN GO AHEAD. GOOD MORNING, THIS IS MELISSA MCGEEHEE. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. MAKING SURE YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME. UM, JUST A REAL QUICK COMMENT. WE DO FULLY SUPPORT THE, UM, INCREASE IN THE METER AND THE, THE SURCHARGE, THE FUEL SURCHARGE. AND I JUST ALSO WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT UNDER THE ZTRIP MODEL, THE DRIVER DOES KEEP A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE SURCHARGE, SO THAT IS DIRECTLY PASSED TO THE DRIVER. GREAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. WITH THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK WE UM, CAN ADJOURN THIS VERY LENGTHY MEETING OF THE REGULATORY AND NEIGHBORHOOD AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND WE WILL BE BACK IN, UM, JULY 12TH AT 10:00 AM SO, UM, WITH THE NEXT MEETING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANKS EVERYBODY. BYE. TO TURN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.