City Council Approves Stronger Taxi Ordinance

The Peekskill City Council adopted a stronger taxi ordinance Monday night, a week before its four-month moratorium on taxicab licenses and taxicab driver’s licenses expires.

The new law will “encourage the safe and orderly use and operation of taxicabs within the city, to encourage compliance with those regulations and to facilitate enforcement of these regulations."

“I thank the Chief and his department for their work on this,” Mayor Mary Foster said of the Police Department’s work on the revised law.

At the time the moratorium was placed, this past June, there were 65 licensed taxis in the city and 122 taxicab drivers, according to Police Captain Paul Astrologo.

A George's Taxi driver who has lived in Peekskill for the last eight years since he moved here from Ecuador, told Patch that his business has been cut in half within the last year or two because of the number of cab companies. The owner of George's taxi used to have about eight cabs and now he only has three or four, the driver said. 

"I don't know how I am going to keep supporting my family," he said after explaining he used to work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to make about $200. He now works from 6 a.m. until 9 or 10 p.m. and makes less money. Most of his customers are people coming off of the train and he very rarely gets calls anymore.

"I might have to return to my county," said the driver, who would not give his name. He added that the new ordinance would make no difference to him.

But the ordinance could make a difference for this drivers and others like him. It has been changed to help regulate and control the number of cabs and drivers. The changes give the Police Department more authority over taxicabs, making drivers subject to a system of ongoing review of driving and criminal records, and initial and periodic drug test. It also provides strict guidelines for suspensions and revocations of licenses for drivers or companies that do not follow the ordinance.

The moratorium came less than two months after , a 48-year-old Briarcliff resident and owner of Peekskill’s Bynum Taxi, was charged with seventh degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (methadone) in April. A search warrant had been obtained pursuant to an investigation into illegal business practices at the taxi company.

“I talk to some of the drivers and they say they are feeling penalized because of one company that is no longer in business,” Councilman Andrew Torres told the council during the work session, before the new ordinance was adopted at the Common Council meeting.

Torres said that the city’s new insurance requirements could put those individual drivers out of business. “The large cab companies could handle it, but it would put mom and pop drivers out of business.”

The council decided to adopt the new law, but because it will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2012, they will be able to change the language to adjust the insurance rates after learning more from drivers.

Also at the Oct. 24 Common Council meeting:

- Michael L. Kellner, Thomas F. McCaffrey, Frank Miranda III and James Sandoval

were appointed to the City of Peekskill Fire Department as volunteers.

-A contract with the Birdsall Service Group engineering company was renewed with an increased rate from $90 and hour to $105 an hour. Councilman Joe Schuder voted against this resolution, saying he has not found the company’s work satisfactory and felt it was not the time to be increasing rates.

-The city approved a resolution to settle a $400,000 tax certiorari for the Woods Phase 3 Condominium Association.

-The Council passed a resolution to continue an inter-municipality agreement with the County of Westchester to continue to operate and maintain bus shelters.

-The Council withdrew a bid for asbestos removal and demolition of 1548 East Boulevard, because the project has not commenced in the last 10 months due to delays.

-The Council adopted a resolution to replace Chapter 48 of the Code of Ethics. The Mayor voted against this resolution explaining that she does not agree that a volunteer fire chief should be precluded from responding to bids, but the new code would prohibit him from doing so.