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City staff propose taxi licensing changes to require proof of accessible fleet; committee to form review subgroup
Summary
City staff reported they will pursue changes to the taxi licensing application to require taxi companies to provide affirmative evidence of accessible vehicles in their fleet. Staff asked for a small, noticed subgroup of committee members to review application edits and outreach plans before the January relicensing cycle.
At the April 24 meeting the accessibility manager, Cassandra (title reported in the meeting as Accessibility Manager), updated the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee on plans to implement recommendations from an earlier taxi-letter initiative.
Cassandra told members departments including Accessibility, Licensing, Community Development, and Code Enforcement have reviewed options and identified language in city code that would allow licensing staff to require more than a checkbox of compliance. “What we have the opportunity to do is…affirmatively request information that demonstrates how these kinds of companies are being compliant with accessible fleet,” Cassandra said, describing changes to the licensing application and the annual relicensing process.
Staff said taxi companies submit relicensing applications in January and the city can use that cycle to request documented evidence of compliance such as fleet demographics and descriptions of accessible vehicles, beyond the existing ‘reasonable accommodations’ requirement. Cassandra said the code already permits denial, suspension or revocation of a license if an applicant fails to meet city standards or makes material misstatements.
Committee members volunteered to form a noticed subgroup to review draft application language and outreach materials. Cassandra collected preliminary volunteers—Carl Burnett, Derek Hoffbauer, Liz Diether Martin and Chair Liz Woodfin signaled interest—and proposed meeting in May or June to draft revisions and an outreach plan for taxi companies. Members and staff discussed whether the scope should include transportation network companies (TNCs such as Uber and Lyft); Cassandra said the initial scoping focused on taxis but licensing could be asked to study TNCs in parallel.
Committee members and Cascades East Transit (CET) staff also offered practical support for outreach and technical advice on accessible vehicle procurement and maintenance. Cassandra said staff will circulate draft edits and schedule the subgroup meeting, and she emphasized the need to provide advance notice to taxi companies so they have time to prepare for the January relicensing deadline.
