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Home My WebLink About04/20/2004, PH 1 - PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REQUEST FROM BEACH CITIES TAXI CAB TO INCREASE THEIR PICK UP FEE council MmtiK D.t. Item N 1' J acenaa aepoat 14 C I T Y O F SAN LU I S O B I S P O FROM: Mike McCluskey,Director of Public Works'lu(K Prepared By: Austin O'Dell,Transit Manager SUBJECT: PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER REQUEST FROM BEACH CITIES TAXI CAB TO INCREASE THEIR PICK UP FEE CAO RECOMMENDATION Adopt a resolution approving a request from Beach Cities Taxi Cab to modify their schedule of rates. DISCUSSION Background On February 27, 2004, the City received a request from Beach Cities Cab Company to increase their Table 1: Proposed Fee Schedule pick-up fee due to increasing fuel prices. The pick- up fee is the base charge to customers for Beach Fee Type Current Proposed Change Pick Up $ 2.50 $ 3.00 $OSO Cities Cab Company to dispatch a vehicle. Beach Per Mile $ 2.00 $ 2.00 $0.00 Cities Cab Company is not proposing to increase any Wait Time $25.00 $25.00 $0.00 other fees, shown in Table 1, at this time. Credit Card Use $ 4.00 $ 4.00 $0.00 Municipal Code Requirements The Municipal Code 5.20.160 requires certificate holders to apply to the City to modify the fee schedule, and the Council to hold a public hearing before deciding to approve or disapprove fee increases. Need to Increase the Fee Since the fee increase is based upon increasing fuel prices, staff reviewed fuel price data to Table 2: Fuel Costs determine the merits of the request. Table 2 Current/ % compares the cost of gasoline and the pick-up Item 2001 Proposed Ch fee from the time Beach Cities Cab began Unleaded Fee $2.00 $3.00 50ed Gasoline per gal $1.51 $2.24 48 operating in the City of San Luis Obispo to Pick u current gasoline costs and the proposed pick-up fee. Based on this comparison, the rate of increase between gasoline and the pick-up fee are the same. Beach Cities Cab needs to increase their fee to cover their business costs. Based on this analysis, it is reasonable for staff to support Beach Cities Cab's request. l Council Agenda Report—Beach Cities Cab Rate Increase Request#2 Page 2 The City's responsibility is to: a) ensure safe taxi vehicles, and b)provide for fair fees. For vehicle safety, the two taxi companies (Beach Cities Cab and Central Cab) are required to perform annual vehicle and meter inspections in order to renew their certificates. Both taxi companies satisfy these requirements. Regarding fair fees, staff compared the fees charged by the two companies and found that if City Council approves Beach Cities Cab's request, the fee schedule between the two taxi companies will be the same. Therefore, we find the vehicles safe, the rates fair, and the proposed fee increase reasonable. FISCAL IMPACTS There will be no financial impact to the General Fund. ALTERNATIVES Any modification of schedule of rates is under the sole purview of the City Council and as such, a number of alternatives exist that the Council may wish to consider. Alternative 1. The Council may determine to allow Beach Cities Cab Company to continue with the current schedule of rates. Alternative 2. The Council may determine to standardize the schedule of rates for all certificate holders. Under this alternative, all certificate holders (other taxi companies operating in the City of San Luis Obispo) would have the same schedule of rates and charge the same fees. In the case of this rate increase, the fact that both taxi. cab companies will have the same rates is circumstantial rather than policy driven. ATTACHMENT 1. Resolution 2. Application from Beach Cities Cab Company I:\ Council Agenda Reports\2004 agenda reports\Transportation and Development Review(Bochum)\Transit(O'Dell)\Taxi CAR Beach City CabRate Request#2-PRODUCTION.doc P ATTACHMENT 1 RESOLUTION NO. (2004 Series) RESOLUTION APPPROVING REQUEST FROM BEACH CITIES CAB COMPANY TO MODIFY THEIR SCHEDULE OF RATES WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo desires to provide for taxi service for its citizens; and WHEREAS, Beach Cities Cab Company is a current taxi operator in the City of San Luis Obispo; and WHEREAS, the City has received an application from Beach Cities Cab Company to increase their schedule of rates; and WHEREAS, the proposed rate increase is consistent with increasing operational costs. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Luis Obispo approves the schedule of rates for Beach Cities Cab Company as set forth in Exhibit A. On motion of , seconded by , and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: The foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this day of ,2004. Dave Romero, Mayor ATTEST: Lee Price, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Jo P. Lowell, City Attorney 1 , 3 EXHIBIT A BEACH CITIES CAB COMPANY SCHEDULE OF RATES Fee Type Fee Pick Up $ 3.00 Per Mile $ 2.00 Wait Time $25.00 Credit Card Use $ 4.00 G:\Transit\Taxicabs\Beach Cities CabTare Increase Request#1\Taxi CAR Beach City Cab Expansion Attachment I-PRE- PRODUCTION.doc 3each Cities Cab Co., Ir, YOUR DESIGNATED DRIVERBm A'I`TA^i RENT P.O.Box 886 �•�L�++Lil`1 i Pismo Beach,CA 93448 • Toll Free 1-866-GO-CAB-GO (805)543-1234 X0+®'6 FAX(805)787-0132. ATTN: Austin O'Dell FROM: Jeff Goldenberg DATE`. February 27,2004 RE: Beach Cities Cab Companies, Inc. Austin- I am going to be raising my pick up fee from $2.50 to $3.00, on or before April 56 2004. I am requesting that this be placed on agenda at the earliest date available for City Council approval. I have enclosed a new copy of our posted rate schedule. The increase is .50 cents. Our new rate schedule is the same as Central Coast Taxi. Thank You for your time. Best Regards, Jeff Goldenberg President&Founder Beach Cities Cab Companies, Inc.