PHFT Meeting Transcript March 25, 2015
[The meeting agenda was tabled until next meeting due to lack of quorum. There were enough board members present to vote, but the composition of board members who were voted in versus appointed were not adequate to for quorum, so they opened up the floor for questions. These notes were transcribed by Wynde Dyer for the Portland Permitted Cabbies’ Club and other interested parties.. If you have any corrections please email wyndedyer@gmail.com]
Stephen Entler: The Innovation Task Force, as directed by Richard Lazar, is recommending dismantling this board. This could very well be our last meeting.
Bryan Hockaday: That’s correct, he would like to discuss the PHFT board in phase two, in July.
Stephen Entler: It’s not a recommendation on the 9th, but he wants PFHT board to disperse.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Darin Campbell: So, uh, a week ago Friday the city adopted new definitions for TNCs. I just came from Fritz’s office . . . [unclear] . . . One thing I asked was can this board look at that definition of a TNC and propose along with what the Task Force is offering. The Task Force has nobody from our industry on it, whereas you have a wealth of knowledge here in this room. I would like feedback on how to proceed.
Kelly Sills: This is process question, Bryan?
Darin Campbell: If the board is interested, the board can do so? I’d like to have an action-oriented discussion, and in the mean time send emails to pull ideas.
Bryan Hockaday: You are permitted to submit your recommendations to council as well.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Steve from Broadway: I looked for an agenda for this meeting. Was it sent out or posted?
[Some discussion amongst Christy Keller, Sills, and Frank Dufay]
Kelly Sills: It seems like it was delayed, it went out sometime yesterday.
Darin Campbell: I received it at 3:30 p.m.
Someone: So not within 24 hours?
[Some discussion about how it was posted online but perhaps the email at 3:30 only went out to board members. NOTE: I received a meeting notification a month ago, but no agenda email]
Kelly Sills: We’ll try to be better about that in the future.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Kedir Wako: I’m from Union. Hockaday, the Task Force, the board members, they’re all individuals representing . . . [unclear].
Bryan Hockaday: The Task Force membership is no secret. It’s posted on the website.
Kedir Wako: No, the misstatement is that the board is taxi companies. But we have shuttle, TriMet, Limo, all kinds of others.
Darin Campbell: I think what he’s saying is it’s known as the “taxi board” and not for the full scope of industry representation, and that’s become problematic within the Task Force.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Tesfaye Aleme: Green Cab. This is to Bryan. Bryan, as we know the combination of the Task Force doesn’t have any idea about transportation. Do you believe everyone will work together? It’s like you are putting an engineer in to be a medical doctor with this board. If someone from TriMet or the city, the taxi industry is a lot different. We have shuttle, town car, SAT, and others all working together. I would rather ask this board to have its own input to the Task Force.
Bryan Hockaday: I am confident the Task Force will provide recommendations that are fair to everyone. The Task Force was convened because of criticism of this board. And we asked everyone to speak before the Task Force.
Kirk Foster: So the Task Force was formed based on criticism of this board?
Bryan Hockaday: There is the perhaps undue perception that this board is biased because of its recommendations.
Kirk Foster: This board has industry experienced people.
Bryan Hockaday: The concern over bias is because of self-interest allegations.
Kelly Sills: Everyone has an opportunity to ask one question before the second opportunity.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Steve: Lucky Limo. I’ve been on vacation, so bear with me. In 2009 was when limos were permitted, we worked together. I see this as dismantling everything we worked for. We do need regulations. It’s not biased. The only thing I’ve had issue with is the moratorium on permits, but those things were so minor. The public wants and needs these protections. This slaps into the face of what the public wants and what we’ve worked to give them. We didn’t want to pay the fees, but we did, and we do. Now they don’t want to pay the fees, but they need to. There’s no bias. We’re following rules. What’s wrong with a driver from Uber paying those fees.
Bryan Hockaday: I don’t disagree. They’ll be subjected to fees and those will be across the board.
Steve: Lucky. To have safe and reliable options is what the public wants. We’ve worked on this for years. It’s not a monopoly. The changes we’ve made over the last 5-6 years are good.
Bryan Hockaday: First and foremost, dismantling this board is coming from one member of the Task Force, and one member alone. One vocal member has raised this board as an issue. Second thing is, the independent nature of the Task Force is not an unusual thing. We’re not unique in that area. The Task Force isn’t making rules, they’re making recommendations.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Jeanette PDX cabbie: Radio . . . [unclear for a considerable amount of time because someone was whispering to me] . . . I was open to having my privacy violated. When we started the public saw my drivers’ license number for every ride, thank you for changing that, but I was open to having my privacy violated. Having been an identity theft victim, one of the first in the county, I’ll say it was scary at best. But it’s to the public benefit to know who the driver is.
Bryan Hockaday: We’re trying to streamline it so it’s fair to everyone.
Jeanette PDX cabbie: So I’m not a tech company? I can also take orders via dispatch, by Curb, by text, and so on, but I’m not a tech company? But they have the same process, so why do I have to be permitted?
Bryan Hockaday: Permitting will be applied uniformly.
Jeanette PDX cabbie: Not . . . [unclear].
Bryan Hockaday: You’re incorrect.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Wynde Dyer [paraphrased]: I’m with Green Cab. This is less of a question and more of a comment to the audience. I’m going to write some information up on the board. We’ve started a FaceBook group called “Portland Permitted Cabbies’ Club” to discuss these issues, to stay up on the Uber news here, nationally, and internationally, and, most importantly to share notes from these meetings like these and with the Task Force because the city has show a deplorable lack of transparency through this process.
Bryan Hockaday: That’s not true. We’ve been very open and transparent.
Wynde Dyer [paraphrased]: That is not true, Bryan, no you have not been. Not only has the Task Force failed to provide notes from their subcommittee meetings, and failed to provide documentation of Task Force meeting notes in a complete and timely fashion, but I have also been hounding the city nicely, at first, every two weeks, since January, and less nicely in the last few weeks, to release the communications to and within the Task Force that were promised to us in January because these are documents are of public concern. Just yesterday I received an email from the city telling me I will have to file a formal Public Records Request and pay for the release. Why wasn’t I told I would have to do that two months ago when I first started asking?
Bryan Hockaday: We’ve released everything the public has asked for on the website.
Wynde Dyer [paraphrased]: That is not true. That is not true at all. You have released ⅙ of what we’ve asked for. You released the public’s communication to the Task Force. That’s only ⅙ of what we want. You have not released Task Force to Task Force members communication, city to Task Force communication, industry to Task Force communication, and so on. It is a miscarriage of justice to withhold this information from the public. The public deserves to know.
Bryan Hockaday: [gets flustered, denies the lack of transparency, says we can talk privately]
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Stephen Entler: Taxis haven’t had any input since January, and we’ve been watching the Task Force closely. One or two members are so biased they had might as well be on the Uber payroll. And they’re guided by PBOT, who, either through omission or by mistake, is feeding them inaccurate information, which they’re acting on. For example, with the implementation of the 240 new permits, there was the requirement for us to bring all cab companies up to 20% for ADA compliance. That information was never given to the Task Force.
Bryan Hockaday: You’re incorrect about them not being aware. They are aware.
Stephen Entler: They have the 20%, yes, but all we are hearing is “there’s no burning desire on the part of the cab companies to get those cars out, maybe if we eliminate the signage requirements they’ll get them out faster.” Signage and painting, that’s not the issue. These are expensive specialty vehicles. We’re not dragging our feet, we’re following the rules.
Bryan Hockaday: I have followed up to Lazar on this.
Stephen Entler: You’re not, though. I’ve heard this two times. In two different meetings. Also did you know our Accidental Occupational Insurance was voluntary? Gee, I remember a deadline on that from the city. Finally, I see the driver permit issue as somehow the companies sign off and accept responsibility, but at no time do they want to expose the identity of the drivers and go through the city? I don’t care about their backgrounds, but the city should know who they are. Last week we had three accidents, not our fault, with uninsured motorists. It’s easy to get insurance, pay it for a few months, and, oops, it lapsed. The city should know. They should have some acknowledgement from their personal auto insurance companies saying they are aware of the drivers TNC activity, and if there’s a lapse in coverage, the city should be notified.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Tesfaye Aleme: Like Steve has said, when those permits were approved, we were told the first must be a wheelchair, then four sedans, then a wheelchair, then four sedans. I have submitted receipt for 13 new vehicles I just purchased. What now? The Task Force is trying to say the cap is over, dump everything. I hope it’s not going this way. It is the city’s role to stop this. The board has told me, “You have to be at 20%.” We were the closest company to 20% already. Now I have these 13 vehicles to pay for. This is the economic burden of doing the right thing. Well, I’ll be in the ditch or in bankruptcy. So I ask you, do you think Lazar is independent? Is he?
Bryan Hockaday: I won’t speak on behalf of Lazar.
Tesfaye Aleme: He controls every move of the Task Force in favor of the TNCs. Other people talk, he talks over them. Staff talks and he almost says, “Shut up.” There are 1-2 people who dominate the whole process. They have tainted the taxis and painted up Uber.
Kedir Wako: I have been a taxi driver here for 17 years. I still work three days a week. We know better than those people. We have proof. Lazar is the most biased. During meetings he makes eye contact with the Uber manager the whole time. I tried to contact Novick’s office. I’ve reached out to all commissioners and met with them. Why is it so difficult to reach Novick?
Bryan Hockaday: Sorry you’ve had some difficulty reaching the commissioner.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
John Orr: Radio. You could all save lots of money and paper if you stopped pretending they have any intention of making it fair and equal.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Kirk Foster: I’m in the weeds right now trying to get wheelchair vehicles on the road. Ford is the only provider, and they’ve had a glass issue, so they’re on backorder. There were only two in the state, and they were both scooped up by the time I left the last meeting.
Tesfaye Aleme: I took them.
Steve Entler: I took them. I ordered them by message at the table during the meeting.
Kirk Foster: There’s a national shortage right now. The delays on getting these vehicles out are because there are no safe ADA vehicles available right now. I had deliveries scheduled for this week. They’re pushed back to June. My May orders are pushed back to July. If you want to talk to someone about this, talk to Ford, don’t talk to us. How would the Task Force know this? That’s why it’s important to have people like me floating around. Also, Uber has come here three times. Our response has always been, “Play by the rules and you’re welcome to join.” Their response was to turn it into a political campaign. They talk about the “taxi board” and everyone has been brainwashed. As for us getting things done over the last 2-4 years, we worked long and hard on recommendations on improvements for drivers, we pushed it across the street [to city hall], no one followed up on anything. Can you tell us how and why all the work we does goes nowhere? Take the Pedicabs, Brian worked hard on things, and now that’s gone to a dead stop across the street. The perception of inaction on this board is false. The thing is, our recomendations never get passed and we have no idea why. We’re basically ignored. That’s what I’ve got.
Brian Pedicab: We’ve been really productive. Frank worked with us and we refined code and it’s not gone anywhere. It seems Uber comes in here and we bent over backwards. We held stakeholder meetings, several of them, and none of their reps ever came. The public engagement piece of this puzzle has been walked over with a PR campaign. Also, I have an announcement, at the Old Town Stakeholders Meeting we decided to add a new taxi zone. It’s between 2nd and 3rd on Burnside, on the north side after 11 p.m. The goal is to push and direct people out to there to get a safe ride. It’s unusual that it’s after 11 p.m., but that decision was made in conjunction with neighbors, so we’d like to see it get some use.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
John Orr: Since the wheelchair vehicles are on backorder, could we put other cars out on the fleets while the wheelchair vehicles are being delayed?
Frank Dufay: We’re taking note now, but without quorum we can’t vote today.
Kelly Sills: It needs to be an agenda item.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
John [board member]: In regards to Lazar’s statements about the composition of this board, are you privy to any alternatives.
Wynde Dyer: Green. Just a quick suggestion, if they’re coming to town, why not include them in the composition of the PFHT board? One seat for TNC companies, one seat for TNC drivers?
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Darin Campbell: With regards to what Kirk said about going across the street, we’ve seen some things go into rule, but even those are not being enforced. Case in point is about giving fines and impounding cars. Police won’t enforce it. We made a good faith effort to bring the police in and this is an issue that is directly related to public safety, with regards to unsafe vehicles and drivers, etc., and they’ve done nothing. As an agenda item for the next meeting I’d like the ADA vehicles being on order to be up for the next meeting.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Kirk Foster: This is why it’s important to have people who are familiar with the industry on boards like these. Since the beginning of the year the transition for medical transportation out of TriMet into Access2Care through Health Share and Family Care has not gone well, to say the least. These quasi-governmental agencies and other industries shut us out, and look where that’s gotten us. If Tesfaye, Kedir, Steve and I had been there to listen and comment, the medical transportation disaster would not have happened. On the political end, Uber came, we told them to play by the rules, then the city shut us out, brought in the Task Force. So what this makes me think about, is well, I’m going to keep this in mind when voting in the future.
[The meeting agenda was tabled until next meeting due to lack of quorum. There were enough board members present to vote, but the composition of board members who were voted in versus appointed were not adequate to for quorum, so they opened up the floor for questions. These notes were transcribed by Wynde Dyer for the Portland Permitted Cabbies’ Club and other interested parties.. If you have any corrections please email wyndedyer@gmail.com]
Stephen Entler: The Innovation Task Force, as directed by Richard Lazar, is recommending dismantling this board. This could very well be our last meeting.
Bryan Hockaday: That’s correct, he would like to discuss the PHFT board in phase two, in July.
Stephen Entler: It’s not a recommendation on the 9th, but he wants PFHT board to disperse.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Darin Campbell: So, uh, a week ago Friday the city adopted new definitions for TNCs. I just came from Fritz’s office . . . [unclear] . . . One thing I asked was can this board look at that definition of a TNC and propose along with what the Task Force is offering. The Task Force has nobody from our industry on it, whereas you have a wealth of knowledge here in this room. I would like feedback on how to proceed.
Kelly Sills: This is process question, Bryan?
Darin Campbell: If the board is interested, the board can do so? I’d like to have an action-oriented discussion, and in the mean time send emails to pull ideas.
Bryan Hockaday: You are permitted to submit your recommendations to council as well.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Steve from Broadway: I looked for an agenda for this meeting. Was it sent out or posted?
[Some discussion amongst Christy Keller, Sills, and Frank Dufay]
Kelly Sills: It seems like it was delayed, it went out sometime yesterday.
Darin Campbell: I received it at 3:30 p.m.
Someone: So not within 24 hours?
[Some discussion about how it was posted online but perhaps the email at 3:30 only went out to board members. NOTE: I received a meeting notification a month ago, but no agenda email]
Kelly Sills: We’ll try to be better about that in the future.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Kedir Wako: I’m from Union. Hockaday, the Task Force, the board members, they’re all individuals representing . . . [unclear].
Bryan Hockaday: The Task Force membership is no secret. It’s posted on the website.
Kedir Wako: No, the misstatement is that the board is taxi companies. But we have shuttle, TriMet, Limo, all kinds of others.
Darin Campbell: I think what he’s saying is it’s known as the “taxi board” and not for the full scope of industry representation, and that’s become problematic within the Task Force.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Tesfaye Aleme: Green Cab. This is to Bryan. Bryan, as we know the combination of the Task Force doesn’t have any idea about transportation. Do you believe everyone will work together? It’s like you are putting an engineer in to be a medical doctor with this board. If someone from TriMet or the city, the taxi industry is a lot different. We have shuttle, town car, SAT, and others all working together. I would rather ask this board to have its own input to the Task Force.
Bryan Hockaday: I am confident the Task Force will provide recommendations that are fair to everyone. The Task Force was convened because of criticism of this board. And we asked everyone to speak before the Task Force.
Kirk Foster: So the Task Force was formed based on criticism of this board?
Bryan Hockaday: There is the perhaps undue perception that this board is biased because of its recommendations.
Kirk Foster: This board has industry experienced people.
Bryan Hockaday: The concern over bias is because of self-interest allegations.
Kelly Sills: Everyone has an opportunity to ask one question before the second opportunity.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Steve: Lucky Limo. I’ve been on vacation, so bear with me. In 2009 was when limos were permitted, we worked together. I see this as dismantling everything we worked for. We do need regulations. It’s not biased. The only thing I’ve had issue with is the moratorium on permits, but those things were so minor. The public wants and needs these protections. This slaps into the face of what the public wants and what we’ve worked to give them. We didn’t want to pay the fees, but we did, and we do. Now they don’t want to pay the fees, but they need to. There’s no bias. We’re following rules. What’s wrong with a driver from Uber paying those fees.
Bryan Hockaday: I don’t disagree. They’ll be subjected to fees and those will be across the board.
Steve: Lucky. To have safe and reliable options is what the public wants. We’ve worked on this for years. It’s not a monopoly. The changes we’ve made over the last 5-6 years are good.
Bryan Hockaday: First and foremost, dismantling this board is coming from one member of the Task Force, and one member alone. One vocal member has raised this board as an issue. Second thing is, the independent nature of the Task Force is not an unusual thing. We’re not unique in that area. The Task Force isn’t making rules, they’re making recommendations.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Jeanette PDX cabbie: Radio . . . [unclear for a considerable amount of time because someone was whispering to me] . . . I was open to having my privacy violated. When we started the public saw my drivers’ license number for every ride, thank you for changing that, but I was open to having my privacy violated. Having been an identity theft victim, one of the first in the county, I’ll say it was scary at best. But it’s to the public benefit to know who the driver is.
Bryan Hockaday: We’re trying to streamline it so it’s fair to everyone.
Jeanette PDX cabbie: So I’m not a tech company? I can also take orders via dispatch, by Curb, by text, and so on, but I’m not a tech company? But they have the same process, so why do I have to be permitted?
Bryan Hockaday: Permitting will be applied uniformly.
Jeanette PDX cabbie: Not . . . [unclear].
Bryan Hockaday: You’re incorrect.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Wynde Dyer [paraphrased]: I’m with Green Cab. This is less of a question and more of a comment to the audience. I’m going to write some information up on the board. We’ve started a FaceBook group called “Portland Permitted Cabbies’ Club” to discuss these issues, to stay up on the Uber news here, nationally, and internationally, and, most importantly to share notes from these meetings like these and with the Task Force because the city has show a deplorable lack of transparency through this process.
Bryan Hockaday: That’s not true. We’ve been very open and transparent.
Wynde Dyer [paraphrased]: That is not true, Bryan, no you have not been. Not only has the Task Force failed to provide notes from their subcommittee meetings, and failed to provide documentation of Task Force meeting notes in a complete and timely fashion, but I have also been hounding the city nicely, at first, every two weeks, since January, and less nicely in the last few weeks, to release the communications to and within the Task Force that were promised to us in January because these are documents are of public concern. Just yesterday I received an email from the city telling me I will have to file a formal Public Records Request and pay for the release. Why wasn’t I told I would have to do that two months ago when I first started asking?
Bryan Hockaday: We’ve released everything the public has asked for on the website.
Wynde Dyer [paraphrased]: That is not true. That is not true at all. You have released ⅙ of what we’ve asked for. You released the public’s communication to the Task Force. That’s only ⅙ of what we want. You have not released Task Force to Task Force members communication, city to Task Force communication, industry to Task Force communication, and so on. It is a miscarriage of justice to withhold this information from the public. The public deserves to know.
Bryan Hockaday: [gets flustered, denies the lack of transparency, says we can talk privately]
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Stephen Entler: Taxis haven’t had any input since January, and we’ve been watching the Task Force closely. One or two members are so biased they had might as well be on the Uber payroll. And they’re guided by PBOT, who, either through omission or by mistake, is feeding them inaccurate information, which they’re acting on. For example, with the implementation of the 240 new permits, there was the requirement for us to bring all cab companies up to 20% for ADA compliance. That information was never given to the Task Force.
Bryan Hockaday: You’re incorrect about them not being aware. They are aware.
Stephen Entler: They have the 20%, yes, but all we are hearing is “there’s no burning desire on the part of the cab companies to get those cars out, maybe if we eliminate the signage requirements they’ll get them out faster.” Signage and painting, that’s not the issue. These are expensive specialty vehicles. We’re not dragging our feet, we’re following the rules.
Bryan Hockaday: I have followed up to Lazar on this.
Stephen Entler: You’re not, though. I’ve heard this two times. In two different meetings. Also did you know our Accidental Occupational Insurance was voluntary? Gee, I remember a deadline on that from the city. Finally, I see the driver permit issue as somehow the companies sign off and accept responsibility, but at no time do they want to expose the identity of the drivers and go through the city? I don’t care about their backgrounds, but the city should know who they are. Last week we had three accidents, not our fault, with uninsured motorists. It’s easy to get insurance, pay it for a few months, and, oops, it lapsed. The city should know. They should have some acknowledgement from their personal auto insurance companies saying they are aware of the drivers TNC activity, and if there’s a lapse in coverage, the city should be notified.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Tesfaye Aleme: Like Steve has said, when those permits were approved, we were told the first must be a wheelchair, then four sedans, then a wheelchair, then four sedans. I have submitted receipt for 13 new vehicles I just purchased. What now? The Task Force is trying to say the cap is over, dump everything. I hope it’s not going this way. It is the city’s role to stop this. The board has told me, “You have to be at 20%.” We were the closest company to 20% already. Now I have these 13 vehicles to pay for. This is the economic burden of doing the right thing. Well, I’ll be in the ditch or in bankruptcy. So I ask you, do you think Lazar is independent? Is he?
Bryan Hockaday: I won’t speak on behalf of Lazar.
Tesfaye Aleme: He controls every move of the Task Force in favor of the TNCs. Other people talk, he talks over them. Staff talks and he almost says, “Shut up.” There are 1-2 people who dominate the whole process. They have tainted the taxis and painted up Uber.
Kedir Wako: I have been a taxi driver here for 17 years. I still work three days a week. We know better than those people. We have proof. Lazar is the most biased. During meetings he makes eye contact with the Uber manager the whole time. I tried to contact Novick’s office. I’ve reached out to all commissioners and met with them. Why is it so difficult to reach Novick?
Bryan Hockaday: Sorry you’ve had some difficulty reaching the commissioner.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
John Orr: Radio. You could all save lots of money and paper if you stopped pretending they have any intention of making it fair and equal.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Kirk Foster: I’m in the weeds right now trying to get wheelchair vehicles on the road. Ford is the only provider, and they’ve had a glass issue, so they’re on backorder. There were only two in the state, and they were both scooped up by the time I left the last meeting.
Tesfaye Aleme: I took them.
Steve Entler: I took them. I ordered them by message at the table during the meeting.
Kirk Foster: There’s a national shortage right now. The delays on getting these vehicles out are because there are no safe ADA vehicles available right now. I had deliveries scheduled for this week. They’re pushed back to June. My May orders are pushed back to July. If you want to talk to someone about this, talk to Ford, don’t talk to us. How would the Task Force know this? That’s why it’s important to have people like me floating around. Also, Uber has come here three times. Our response has always been, “Play by the rules and you’re welcome to join.” Their response was to turn it into a political campaign. They talk about the “taxi board” and everyone has been brainwashed. As for us getting things done over the last 2-4 years, we worked long and hard on recommendations on improvements for drivers, we pushed it across the street [to city hall], no one followed up on anything. Can you tell us how and why all the work we does goes nowhere? Take the Pedicabs, Brian worked hard on things, and now that’s gone to a dead stop across the street. The perception of inaction on this board is false. The thing is, our recomendations never get passed and we have no idea why. We’re basically ignored. That’s what I’ve got.
Brian Pedicab: We’ve been really productive. Frank worked with us and we refined code and it’s not gone anywhere. It seems Uber comes in here and we bent over backwards. We held stakeholder meetings, several of them, and none of their reps ever came. The public engagement piece of this puzzle has been walked over with a PR campaign. Also, I have an announcement, at the Old Town Stakeholders Meeting we decided to add a new taxi zone. It’s between 2nd and 3rd on Burnside, on the north side after 11 p.m. The goal is to push and direct people out to there to get a safe ride. It’s unusual that it’s after 11 p.m., but that decision was made in conjunction with neighbors, so we’d like to see it get some use.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
John Orr: Since the wheelchair vehicles are on backorder, could we put other cars out on the fleets while the wheelchair vehicles are being delayed?
Frank Dufay: We’re taking note now, but without quorum we can’t vote today.
Kelly Sills: It needs to be an agenda item.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
John [board member]: In regards to Lazar’s statements about the composition of this board, are you privy to any alternatives.
Wynde Dyer: Green. Just a quick suggestion, if they’re coming to town, why not include them in the composition of the PFHT board? One seat for TNC companies, one seat for TNC drivers?
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Darin Campbell: With regards to what Kirk said about going across the street, we’ve seen some things go into rule, but even those are not being enforced. Case in point is about giving fines and impounding cars. Police won’t enforce it. We made a good faith effort to bring the police in and this is an issue that is directly related to public safety, with regards to unsafe vehicles and drivers, etc., and they’ve done nothing. As an agenda item for the next meeting I’d like the ADA vehicles being on order to be up for the next meeting.
[Kelly Sills moves the conversation along to the next question]
Kirk Foster: This is why it’s important to have people who are familiar with the industry on boards like these. Since the beginning of the year the transition for medical transportation out of TriMet into Access2Care through Health Share and Family Care has not gone well, to say the least. These quasi-governmental agencies and other industries shut us out, and look where that’s gotten us. If Tesfaye, Kedir, Steve and I had been there to listen and comment, the medical transportation disaster would not have happened. On the political end, Uber came, we told them to play by the rules, then the city shut us out, brought in the Task Force. So what this makes me think about, is well, I’m going to keep this in mind when voting in the future.