Council hears status of towed vehicles case and holds public hearings on limousine and sedan service certificates

Council members reviewed the status of vehicles and equipment that city staff removed from public streets belonging to Jim Walker. City staff said the standard notice process included 30 days’ yellow-sticker notices and that the city gave additional time while the owner’s brother indicated an intent to remove vehicles. Staff said some vehicles were removed by the corporate property owner or family, while trolleys were impounded; the city returned some vehicles previously under agreement but the owner later placed them again downtown, prompting removal.

Planning staff explained that the property is inside a historic district, requiring additional approvals for screened storage inside a building or behind a barrier; staff said Mr. Walker was told about these options but did not file the required permits. Staff also said one reason for removal was that nonoperational vehicles had become places where homeless people slept and that the owner had the right to appeal the civil process to the council but did not do so.

The council also opened public hearings to consider certificate-of-public-convenience-and-necessity applications from Juanita Mois (limousine service) and Shanika Matthews Hobby (sedan service). Those applications were set for public comment; no final council decisions on the certificates were recorded at the meeting.

"The standard notice is 30 days where we put those yellow stickers on the vehicles," a staff member said, describing the city’s notice timeline for derelict vehicles. Another staff member said the trolley vehicles were nonoperational and some had been removed by private owners while others were taken to the impound lot by the city.