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Select board votes 3–2 to issue eight dormant rental‑car medallions amid debate over Turo and enforcement
Summary
After an extended discussion about peer‑to‑peer car‑sharing and recovering unused medallions, the board narrowly approved staff recommendations to accept agency license applications for eight available medallions and to prioritize new agencies for those medallions.
The board voted 3–2 to approve a staff proposal to open a public‑application process for eight available rental‑car medallions, despite divergent views among members about whether the move would create a precedent that effectively legalizes peer‑to‑peer car‑sharing platforms such as Turo.
Amy, licensing staff, told the board she recommended accepting applications for new agencies to distribute the eight medallions and said applicants would need to demonstrate a commercial location for vehicle storage and confirm vehicles would be used for commercial rentals only. "I don't really quite know exactly what to do here," Amy said, describing the staff recommendation as an effort to create a clear next step while the bylaw and enforcement questions are still under review.
Board members split over enforcement and scope. Matt Fee argued that many names on the waiting list already met the town’s definition of a rental agency and that issuing medallions now could be perceived as legitimizing part‑time, peer‑to‑peer rentals. "Everyone that's on that list is a person, business, or corporation engaged in the business of renting, leasing, or keeping," Fee said, stating concern that the process could set an unwanted precedent.
Brooke Moore, who made the motion to follow staff recommendations, and Tom Dixon said they supported a pragmatic step to put the eight medallions back into active use and to allow new businesses a chance to apply under a formal agency license process. Several members said recovering other unused medallions and a broader review of the bylaw should follow.
The motion, made by Brooke Moore and seconded by Tom Dixon, passed by roll call: Brooke Moore (yes), Tom Dixon (yes), Don Holgate (yes), Matt Fee (no), Malcolm McNabb (no). The board did not authorize specific medallion recipients at the meeting; the vote authorized the licensing process to accept agency applications and to schedule the public hearing/application window described by staff.
Board members and staff indicated the wider policy question — whether and how to regulate peer‑to‑peer platforms and how to recapture unused medallions from existing licensees — will be addressed in a future agenda item.
