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------- e ates in Eugene presently, and it provides training and instruction in car- riage driving and would establish the standard for any other company. She noted that the City has not had any problems with this company so far. Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Ms. Utecht said that the number of drivers who seek certification annually differs markedly between Eugene and Springfield. She estimated that seventy-five drivers would operate in Eu- gene. Councilor Schue opened the public hearing. Douglas Fabish, 4437 Ryan Avenue, testified against the proposed regulation system. He noted that the proposed licensing cap has not been mentioned in any of the public forums and said that the effect of increasing fees in the industry under the proposed levels would be a proliferation of dishonest, "gippo" cab operators that operate illegally to avoid regulation. He also voiced concern that the proposed ordinance does not allow for an appeal be- yond the level of the City Manager. Steve Berger, 2682 Madison, spoke as a taxi driver in favor of the proposal. He felt that regulation is a good way to stop the proliferation of "gippo" cabs, but agreed that efforts should be made to keep the cost of regulation manageable for taxi drivers. He also indicated that further study should be conducted regarding the proposed insurance levels. Ed Spinney, 1381 Pearl Street, testified on behalf of Johnny Miller, a long- e time Eugene resident and owner of Yellow Cab Taxi. Mr. Spinney concurred with the transient nature of the taxi business, noting the turnover of 180-200 drivers per year in Mr. Spinney's company. He testified to the inci- dence of price gouging in Eugene and said that Mr. Miller is in favor of industry regulation. Mr. Spinney indicated that Mr. Miller has raised con- cerns with several of the proposed regulations, such as the requirement of placing the names of all drivers on the back of each cab and has suggested that all ordinance appeals be subject to review by the City Council. Randy Prince, PO Box 927, Eugene, spoke about the role that the taxi industry plays as an alternative mode of transportation and urged the council to give this careful consideration when determining the level of fees which would be established within the ordinance. There being no further requests to speak, Councilor Schue closed the public hearing. Responding to Mr. Berger's testimony, Ms. Utecht said that the level of in- surance proposed in the ordinance is set at the State tort level and consti- tutes that amount for which the City could legally be held liable. In response to concerns raised on behalf of Mr. Miller, Ms. Utecht said that the City is willing to work with the industry on issues of concern and would not likely institute unreasonable regulations that would cause undue hardship to the industry. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 10, 1990 Page 4