Information Items:
Taxicab Company Operating Certificates
Staff Resource: Joe Vanderlip, 704-398-6793
Chapter 22 of the City Code regulates all local passenger-vehicles-for-hire (PVH) companies operating in Charlotte. The PVH Ordinance requires all companies to obtain a company operating certificate before operating any passenger vehicle-for-hire. The Ordinance also states that no company operating certificate shall be issued to or renewed by any person not in full compliance with all ordinance requirements before the commencement of the operation of the proposed service.
Taxicab companies renew their company operating certificates annually in July. City PVH staff reviewed company certificate renewal applications from thirteen taxicab companies. Ten companies met ordinance requirements and were issued company operating certificates for 2004-2005. Three companies did not meet the 30-vehicle minimum requirement to operate as a taxicab company. Company operating certificates were not renewed for:
- American Cab (owner: Jerry Williams)
- Eagle Cab (owner: Jerry Williams)
- Nations Cab (owners: Toni Ubani and Abdulqadir Abdi)
American Cab, Eagle Cab, and Nations Cab submitted applications with vehicles that were out of service or had expired permits. Each company relied on one or more accessible vehicles to meet the 30-cab minimum and none were operational or currently permitted. (The ordinance allows one accessible cab to count as 5 taxicabs to meet the 30-cab total as an incentive to companies to provide accessible taxicab service to the disabled community.) There were additional vehicles with expired permits listed in each application, or vehicles counted twice, that also contributed to their respective non-renewals.
The 30-vehicle minimum for taxicab companies was established based on input and considerable discussion by various stakeholders, including the vehicle for hire industry, hospitality and business community. The rationale behind establishing a minimum is that having numerous small companies only intensifies driver competition for fares, especially at the airport, major hotels and other prime destinations. This focus on high activity areas can also have a negative impact on available service to other parts of the City. The ordinance also requires that companies provide service 24 hours, 7 days a week across the City. Companies with few vehicles would be unable to meet this requirement.
All company operating certificate holders were repeatedly advised by the PVH Office of the importance of meeting the requirements of the Ordinance, which includes the 30-cab minimum. The PVH Manager contacted company managers at American Cab, Eagle Cab, and Nations Cab during to week of July 26-30 to clarify vehicle discrepancies, but required vehicles remained out of service.
Taxicab company operating certificates for 2003-2004 expired as of 12:01 AM, Aug 1, 2004. American Cab, Eagle Cab, and Nations Cab were faxed and mailed letters of non-renewal on Monday, August 02, 2004, and directed to cease operations until all discrepancies were corrected. Each letter outlined specific shortfalls for the respective company and the process to regain a company operating certificate for 2004-2005. City PVH Staff will renew a company operating certificate after all vehicle discrepancies have been corrected and when companies meet the 30-cab minimum requirement.
To assist drivers and vehicle owners impacted by the company non-renewals, City PVH staff will issue driver permits and vehicle operating permits at no charge to any driver or vehicle owner who affiliates with another taxicab company in possession of a current company operating certificate.
North Tryon Street/ Craighead Road Delay
Staff Resource: Roy Ezell, 704-336-2272
Due to a gas leak discovered by Piedmont Natural Gas, the outbound right lane of North Tryon Street, crossing Craighead Road, was closed Tuesday, August 3, 2004 for approximately one week. Repairs began Wednesday morning.
All motorists should expect delays in the vicinity of the intersection of North Tryon and Craighead. Late afternoon Charlotte Area Transit System routes will be delayed.
Solid Waste Services Update
Staff Resource: Wayman Pearson, 704-336-3410
Through the efforts of Solid Waste Services and the Equipment Maintenance Division, all but eight of the vehicles damaged in last week's vandalism incident were restored to service. Garbage, yard waste, recycling and bulk item collection services provided to residents in the east, north and south collection zones resumed a normal schedule as of Monday, August 2.
Charlotte Observer Article about Weeds on Park & Johnston Roads
Staff Resource: Quin Hall, 704-336-5751
The Charlotte Observer printed a comment on Wednesday, August 4, regarding weeds in the newly planted medians on Park Road. The medians were planted this spring. The plants are under a one-year warranty period with the installation contractor. For that reason, they cannot be sprayed with certain weed killing chemicals during the warranty period; therefore, city maintenance contractors hand weed the medians. The weather this spring and summer have helped more weeds to grow so they are harder to control.
City staff is working with maintenance contractors to increase weeding frequency in areas where overgrowth is a problem. Staff will also begin isolated spraying of weeds where it can be done without harming new plants.
Status of City's Participating in County's Ozone Reduction Program
Staff Resource: Julie Burch, 704-336-3187
The City of Charlotte has joined Mecklenburg County in a pilot program for the summer called "Cut Pollution When It Counts." The program targets the production of ozone on Ozone Action Days, when the North Carolina Department of Air Quality forecasts unhealthy levels of ozone for the Charlotte region.
The City's program seeks to reduce the production of ozone in two main ways. First, employees are asked to ride CATS, carpool, vanpool, bicycle, walk, use flex time, etc., instead of driving in a single occupancy vehicle on orange, red, or purple Ozone Action Days. Second, mangers of heavy-duty equipment and city fleets have been encouraged to establish anti-idling, fueling and use policies.
Several Key Businesses have volunteered to participate and have employee coordinators who are distributing information and tracking voluntary participation on high ozone days. This information will be shared with the County as part of its pilot program.
Metropolitan Transit Commission July 28, 2004 Meeting Summary
Staff Resource: Ron Tober, 704-336-7245
At its July 28 meeting, the MTC unanimously approved a series of amendments to the CATS Financial Policies adding specific policies on debt financing.
When the Financial Policies were initially approved in 2000, development of the transit system was not yet sufficiently advanced to be able to determine what debt policies would be needed. Such policies are now necessary, in view of impending short- and long-term debt issuance requirements for the South Corridor Project and to maintain conformance with CATS' South Corridor LRP Long-Range Financial Plan.
Key revisions and additions to the Financial Policies include addition of Debt Service Coverage Ratio requirements, definition of a new Debt Service Fund section of the Transit Program, a change in the definition of the Capital Investment Level, addition of Unrestricted Fund Balance requirements, and addition of a debt component to the section on Capital Program Financing.
All revisions and changes are in accordance with City of Charlotte policies and guidelines, and were developed with City Finance staff and the City's financial advisor. In September or October City Council will be asked to approve a debt issuance for the transit program under these policies.
The MTC was also updated on the ongoing due diligence process to determine whether the Home Federal Bank Building at 139 South Tryon is the best location for consolidated office space for the CATS staff. The building meets all MTC-approved criteria for location, and would provide CATS with over 60,000 square feet near the junction of four of the five transit corridors and within close proximity to the CMGC. The building also has 8-9,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, which could be rented out and provide a source of revenue for the transit program. The building is now an empty shell, after asbestos mitigation work, and has historic designation.
The current owner of the property has agreed to a purchase price of $5.9 million. CATS will complete the due diligence process, obtain cost estimates to retrofit and upfit the building, and prepare a financial evaluation, in preparation for making a recommendation on the purchase of the building to the MTC in August. The Commission is expected to vote on the proposal at its August meeting, and if the MTC approves the purchase of the Home Federal building, City acquisition of the building would come before the Council in September.
The MTC was also updated on the status of the South Corridor Light Rail Project. The Project has reached the 95% Design stage. Roughly 82% of the land required has been purchased. The Light Rail Vehicles ordered from Siemens Transportation are in the conceptual design phase.
CATS anticipates submitting the formal application for a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) to the FTA within the next week. After FTA, Department of Labor, Office of Management and Budget, and a mandatory 60-day Congressional review, the FFGA is expected to be executed in December. The City Council will be asked to approve contracts to begin construction of a Light Rail Vehicle Maintenance Facility in September with additional contracts to begin track construction and acquisition of signals and communications equipment following in October and
November. These contracts would all be awarded under Letters of No Prejudice from the FTA prior to receipt of the FFGA in order to ensure that operation of the South Corridor Light Rail Line begins on schedule in October of 2006.
The MTC was also briefed on the discovery of possible gravesites within the South Corridor ROW and in close proximity to the China Grove AME Zion Church cemetery. No record of any gravesites in this location exists, and CATS will work with mortuary archeologists to determine whether these are actual human gravesites. If so, CATS will coordinate with any next-of-kin who may be located, and with church officials, to re-locate those graves within the Church's existing cemetery.
The MTC continued its discussion of the Final Report and Recommendations from the Transit Governance Review conducted by the Citizens Transit Advisory Group (CTAG). The MTC and the CTAG will hold a workshop-type session in conjunction with the August MTC meeting to review in-depth the recommendations, which call for an incremental process of changes to the governance structure leading to creation of an independent transit agency several years in the future. CTAG has recommended that the MTC approve the recommendations by September.
Finally, the MTC was advised that CATS ended FY2004 with a 5.3% increase in ridership making last year the sixth consecutive year that ridership on the transit system has increased. CATS services transported 16.4 million passengers last year fiscal year which is 38.4% more than rode the system in 1998.
