HomeMy WebLinkAbout1560 - ORDINANCES - 7/29/1998 ORDINANCE NO. 1560
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS,
CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SECTIONS 11.34.060 AND
' 11.34.210 TO THE PALM SPRINGS MUNICIPAL CODE,
CONCERNING TAXICAB, OPERATION OF, AND
ENFORCEMENT AT THE PALM SPRINGS REGIONAL
AIRPORT.
WHEREAS the City of Palm Springs, as well as the Coachella Valley, depends heavily on
tourism for a major portion of the local economy and the success of local tourism
development depends on the delivery of efficient and friendly visitor services, including
surface transportation; and
WHEREAS the Palm Springs Regional Airport is the only commercial service airport
serving the visiting and local public in the Coachella Valley; and
WHEREAS the surface transportation needs of tourists and locals are met in a variety of
ways, including taxicabs. Over 47,000 taxicab trips originated at the Airport during
calendar year 1997; and
WHEREAS the Airport requires taxicab companies to obtain a permit to operate at the
' Airport, and provides a place for numerous taxicabs to stage and await passengers, and
taxicabs operate on a first come first serve basis; and
WHEREAS the current Municipal Code Section 11.34.060 Taxicab, Operation of, pertains
to several requirements that no longer apply to operations of taxicabs at the Airport; and
WHEREAS the last revision to this section was at a time when the Airport had just begun
to allow non-franchised taxicabs to pick up passengers at the Airport, with or without
advance reservations; and
WHEREAS SunLine Transit Agency, the taxi regulator within the Coachella Valley,
maintains and enforces, through administrative process, their own regulations; and
WHEREAS the last revision to the current Municipal Code Section 11.34.210 Enforcement
by SunLine Transit Agency, was at a time when SunLine Transit Agency regularly
maintained and observed taxicab operations at the Palm Springs Regional Airport; and
WHEREAS the Palm Springs Regional Airport maintains its own operating procedures and
driver conduct policies, which are unique to the operation and situations pertaining to the
Airport, to ensure that the Airport maintains a fair, just, and non-discriminatory operation
and enforcement policy towards taxicab operations.
' THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA DOES
ORDAIN as follows:
Ord. No. 1560
Page 2
SECTION 1. FINDINGS AND DETERMINATIONS. The City Council of the City of
Palm Springs, California, hereby finds and determines as follows: '
A. The current Palm Springs Municipal Code Sections 11.34.060 Taxicab, Operation
of, and 11.34.210 Enforcement by SunLine Transit Agency, do not pertain to the
current taxicab operations at the Palm Springs Regional Airport.
B The current taxicab regulations administered by SunLine Transit Agency, the
taxicab regulator within the Coachella Valley, does not cover the unique operations
and requirements of the Palm Springs Regional Airport.
C. In order for the Airport to take the needed corrective action to properly enforce the
Airport taxicab operating procedures, Airport taxi driver rules and regulations, and
SunLine Transit Agency's regulations pertaining to the general taxicab operations
when taxicabs are operating on the Airport, the current Municipal Code Sections
11.34.060 and 11.34.210 must be revised.
D. In revising Municipal Code Sections 11.34.060 Taxicab, Operation of, and
11.34.210, .Enforcement by SunLine Transit Agency, the City Council gives due
regard to the recommendations of the Palm Springs Regional Airport Commission,
the advisory panel to the City Council on Airport issues.
SECTION 2. Section 11.34.060 Taxicab, Operation of, of the Palm Springs Municipal '
Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
11.34.060 Taxicab, operation of. Taxicab companies operating under a permit
granted by SunLine Transit Agency and the Palm Springs Regional Airport may pick up
passengers at the Airport, upon meeting the following requirements:
(1) The taxicab company shall have a completed Airport Use Agreement and
Permit Application on file with the Airport, in accordance with Palm Springs Municipal
Code Section 11.34.030; and
(2) The taxicab company and drivers shall comply with all requirements of
SunLine Transit Agency; and
(3) The taxicab company and drivers shall comply with all rules and regulations
pertaining to Airport Operating Procedures, Passenger Relations Standards and Driver
Conduct Policies as are currently approved by the Palm Springs Regional .Airport
Commission or as may be amended or modified in the future by the Palm Springs Regional
Airport Commission pertaining to taxicab operations; and
(4) The taxicab company shall pay and keep current on all Airport access fees
according to the comprehensive fee schedule, in accordance with Palm Springs Municipal
Code Section 11.34.040.
This shall apply to all taxicab companies conducting business at the Palm Springs
Regional Airport, when picking up passengers with or without proof of advance
reservations. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to supersede or Cake precedence over '
any other section of this chapter and chapter 11.33 of the Palm Springs Municipal Code.
SECTION 3. Section 11.34.210 Enforcement by SunLine Transit Agency, of the Palm
Springs Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Ord. No. 1560
Page 3
11.34.210 Enforcement of Airport and SunLine Transit Agency Requirements
' Enforcement personnel assigned to the Airport are hereby empowered to issue warnings
or citations or remove from service for a period of one (1) day any taxicab owner,
operator, driver, or agent who has violated any provision of Palm Springs Municipal Code
Chapters 11.33 and 11.34 in the presence of said enforcement personnel. The city council
hereby authorizes the director of aviation to utilize SunLine Transit Agency and its officers
and employees for additional enforcement of violations of Chapters 11.33 and 11.34 when
applicable, and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. Violations of Chapters
11.33 and 11.34, whether observed and cited by officers and employees of SunLine Transit
Agency or by officers and employees of the City may be enforced, at the election of the
director of aviation, either in the administrative hearing process established by SunLine
Transit Agency or by any other means available by law. SunLine Transit Agency is
requested to provide the director of aviation with established procedures pertaining to
enforcement of Chapters 11.33 and 11.34, enforcement of its own taxicab rules and
regulations, and procedures on an established administrative hearing process.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty
(30) days after passage.
SECTION 5. PUBLICATION. The City Clerk is hereby ordered and directed to certify
to the passage of this revision of this Ordinance, and to cause same or a summary thereof,
or a display advertisement, duly prepared according to law, to be published in accordance
' with law.
ADOPTED this 29th day of July 1998.
AYES: Members Barnes, Hodges, Oder, Reller-Spurgin
NOES: None
ABSENT: Mayor Kleindienst
ATTEST: CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA
By� 1bN4L��-
City Clerk Mayor
REVIEWED & APPROVED AS TO FORM ( 03
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT the foregoing Ordinance 1560 was duly adopted by the
City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California, in a meeting held on
the 29th day of July, 1998, and that same was published in the DESERT SUN,
' a newspaper of general circulation on August 3, 1998.
,
_
! JUDITH SUMICH�
City Clerk