Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board — Burlington, VT
Date: 2024-08-14
Time: 17:30

Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board




  Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 5:30 PM, Sharon Bushor Conf. Room, City Hall, 149
 Church St.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91888002263?pwd=ygwULchEaxQeFDWWGdnlSqvnyNQLCC.1

Meeting ID: 918 8800 2263
Passcode: 113206

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1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda


2. Previous Minutes
 2.1. Approval of previous minutes

 File Attachments
 1. Draft Minutes 07.11.24 Draft Minutes 07.11.24.pdf

3. Public Forum
 3.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments

4. Annual Board Report to City Council
 4.1. Annual Board Report to City Council

 File Attachments

 4.1. Draft Annual Board Report to City Council

5. New Business
6. Adjournment
  6.1. Motion to adjourn

Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board




  Wednesday, August 14, 2024, 5:30 PM, Sharon Bushor Conf. Room, City Hall, 149
 Church St.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91888002263?pwd=ygwULchEaxQeFDWWGdnlSqvnyNQLCC.1

Meeting ID: 918 8800 2263
Passcode: 113206

One tap mobile
+13052241968,,91888002263#,,,,*113206# US
+13092053325,,91888002263#,,,,*113206# US




1. Agenda
 1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda


2. Previous Minutes
 2.1. Approval of previous minutes

 File Attachments
 1. Draft Minutes 07.11.24 Draft Minutes 07.11.24.pdf

3. Public Forum
 3.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments

4. Annual Board Report to City Council
 4.1. Annual Board Report to City Council

 File Attachments

 4.1. Draft Annual Board Report to City Council

5. New Business


 Page 1 of 7
6. Adjournment
  6.1. Motion to adjourn




 Page 2 of 7
 BURLINGTON VEHICLE FOR HIRE LICENSING BOARD
 SHARON BUSHOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL, 149 CHURCH ST.
 MINUTES OF MEETING
 July 11, 2024

 Draft

 Members Present: Paul Hines
 Stephen Hamlin
 Youness Jamil

 Also Present: Hayley McClenahan
 Tenzin Chokden




Meeting start time: 05:36 P.M


1. Agenda
1. Agenda

1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda

Motion to accept the agenda by Stephen Hamlin, seconded by Youness Jamil.
Approved unanimously.

2. Approve Minutes
2. Approve Minutes

2.1. Approval of 05/30/24 Minutes

Motion to accept the previous minutes by Stephen Hamlin, seconded by Youness Jamil.
Approved unanimously.


3. Public Forum
3. Public Forum

3.1. PUBLIC FORUM - Verbal Comments

No members of the public commented.
1




 Page 3 of 7
4. Hearings

4.1. Ride Easy Taxi

Hayley McClenahan swore in Aziz Bakkali, the complainant, via Zoom. She also swore in Saadi AlJarah, the driver
of Ride Easy Taxi, and Ali AlJarah, the business owner of Ride Easy Taxi.

Ali AlJarah stated he is representing Saadi AlJarah who is his father, and also serves as a translator for Saadi
AlJarah, who doesn’t speak English.

Due to poor cell reception hindering the video conference, the board paused the hearing to allow Aziz Bakkali to
find a more suitable location. The board decided to move on to item #6, New business, and discuss the vehicle
for hire ordinance change proposal that was discussed with the airport commission at their meeting on Tuesday,
July 2nd.

The board acknowledged the written complaint but noted the complainant's absence from the hearing following
a 5-minute recess. Due to this absence, the complainant's right to a hearing was waived.

Youness Jamil asked if it is legal to allow Ali AlJarah to translate for Saadi.

Hayley McClenahan advised it is up to the board's comfort, if the board wants to request a separate interpreter
then the meeting will need to be rescheduled.

Paul Hines hears no objections from the board and will hear from the respondents first.

Ali AlJarah stated that he did not receive the full complaint and therefore he needs more time to review to
respond.

A copy of the full complaint was provided and time allowed for review.

In a resumed video conference, Aziz Bakkali explained his complaint against Saadi. He accused Saadi of violating
airport regulations by soliciting customers inside the terminal and stealing a client who had booked with Bakkali.
Bakkali claims to have evidence that the customer repeatedly asked Saadi if he was Aziz, but Saadi feigned
ignorance of English and kept answering affirmatively. The customer only realized the mistake after several
minutes into the ride.

Bakkali claimed the driver wasn't following the queue rules. He alleged the driver skipped taking his rightful fare
and instead gave the customer to a friend who was last in line. He stated that this violates the system where
drivers take turns serving customers.

Saadi countered that the customer came up to him while he was waiting at the front of the queue and inquired
about a taxi. The customer mentioned a long trip and asked if he could handle it. Saadi confirmed and had the
customer enter the address on his phone. He claims she only asked his name after reaching exit 17, and he
simply replied "Saadi." Unaware of any prior reservation, he completed the trip and gave the customer a
business card. Saadi insisted he only learned it was Aziz's customer later from another driver. He denied any
wrongdoing and alleged Aziz and Youness confronted him angrily upon returning from the trip.
2




 Page 4 of 7
Aziz Bakkali claimed to have witnesses who can testify about Saadi's rule violations at the airport and is ready to
present them if needed. Although he has email reservation records from the customer, he failed to submit them
before the hearing.

Stephen Hamlin asked why didn’t he bring his witnesses to the hearing and submit the evidence.

Ali AlJarah stated that the complainant was not taking the complaint seriously by not being present in person
and disregarded the hearing’s importance by multitasking (phone) and not bringing relevant evidence. Due to a
lack of evidence and inconsistencies, he believes the case should be dismissed.

The board will deliberate on this hearing and a decision notice will be sent by mail.



5. Deliberative Session
5. Deliberative Session

The board entered a deliberative session at 7:00 PM and ended at 7:15 PM.
Youness Jamil recused himself from the deliberative session due to conflict of interest.

6. New Business
Paul Hines requested that Hayley McClenahan share the airport commission's thoughts on the proposed
ordinance changes related to vehicles for hire. He wanted to know if she could briefly summarize their feedback.

Hayley McClenahan shared that there are suggestions for improving the signage on credit card payment. The
signage is meant to inform passengers about the temporary cash-only period before credit card processing is
available. The City Council is expected to discuss this on Monday to recommend sending the proposal to the
Ordinance Committee for further review based on feedback from the airport commissioners.

The committee's schedule and current workload will determine when they can review the ordinance.
City Council rules allow the Council to take over the ordinance if the committee hasn't addressed it after 3
meetings. However, it's expected that the committee will likely review it within the next few meetings after it's
officially referred to them.

Hayley McClenahan informed the board they can attend the ordinance committee meeting to share further
feedback on the draft. They should contact the chair of the committee.

The next meeting will be held on 08/14/2024 @ 5:30pm.



7. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn the meeting by Stephen Hamlin, seconded by Youness Jamil.
Approved unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 PM.



3




 Page 5 of 7
DRAFT Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board: Annual Report DRAFT
Burlington, Vermont

August 14, 2024


Mission
[for discussion] The mission of the vehicle for hire licensing board is to ensure safe, affordable
and equitable access to vehicles for hire in the Burlington, Vermont region including the Patrick
Leahy Burlington International Airport (“BTV Airport”).


Report
The Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board (“VFH Board”) is composed of three members of the
public, with Associate City Clerk Tenzin Chokden and Assistant City Attorney Hayley
McClenahan serving as clerk and counsel, respectively, for the board’s meetings.

Before September 2023, the VFH Board did not have sufficient representation from the general
public, so city councilors had served on the VFH Board. Having the required three members
from the general public, on Sept. 6th, 2023 the VFH Board elected Paul Hines as Chair.

Over the last year the VFH Board has adjudicated 9 complaints from members of the public, the
majority of which resulted from inconsistent use of city-approved meter rates by drivers from
BTV Airport.

In order to address the core issues underlying most of these complains, the VFH Board has taken
several actions:

 ● The VFH Board performed some research and found that the city-approved rates, which
 had not been updated in years, were significantly lower than others in the regions. The
 VFH Board subsequently updated the rates. The new rates went into effect on April 15,
 2024.
 ● In addition, the VFH Board found that many of the complaints involved the inconsistent
 use of taxi meters and less-than-universal acceptance of credit cards, which left many taxi
 customers confused or frustrated with the payment process. To address these issues the
 VFH Board, with help from Assistant City Attorney McClenahan, has proposed updates
 to the City Ordinance sections 30-4, 30-22 and Appendix E to require that drivers accept
 credit card payments and use the city-approved rates for all rides less than 50 miles
 originating from BTV Airport. These ordinance updates are currently awaiting approval
 by City Council.




 Page 6 of 7
 ● Furthermore, the VFH Board has been operating with only three of five positions filled,
 which has sometimes made it difficult to conduct business if one of the board members is
 not available. To address this issue, first, the board requests that City Council appoint two
 additional board members to fill the open positions. Second, the board, has proposed an
 update to City Ordinance to ensure that a member of the Transportation, Energy and
 Utilities Committee can serve as a substitute VFH Board member if needed.

Finally, the VFH Board has been working with the city’s Chief Innovation Officer to identify
technology options that could further improve the quality, equity and availability of taxi service
in the city. The VFH Board will continue to investigate these options in the coming year.


VFH Board Members
 ● Paul Hines, Chair
 ● Youness Jamil, Member
 ● Stephen Hamlin, Member




 Page 7 of 7

BURLINGTON VEHICLE FOR HIRE LICENSING BOARD
 SHARON BUSHOR CONF. ROOM, CITY HALL, 149 CHURCH ST.
 MINUTES OF MEETING
 August 14, 2024

 DRAFT

 Members present: Paul Hines
 Youness Jamil
 Stephen Hamlin

 Also present: Tenzin Chokden

Meeting start time: 5:35 PM




1. Agenda
1. Agenda

1.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda

Stephen Hamlin made a motion to approve. Youness Jamil seconded. Passed unanimously.


2. Previous Minutes
2. Previous Minutes

2.1. Approval of previous minutes

Stephen Hamlin made a motion to approve. Youness Jamil seconded. Passed unanimously.


3. Public Forum
3. Public Forum

No members of the public spoke.


4. Annual Board Report to City Council
4. Annual Board Report to City Council

Paul Hines reviewed the annual board report to city council with the board.

Paul Hines proposed including in the report that inconsistent driver behavior, such as not using taxi meters, has
negatively affected taxi business.
Youness Jamil agreed, adding that this was because taxi meter rates had not been updated, the cost of living had
risen, and drivers were using flat rate fees to make a living.
Youness Jamil inquired about the immediate implementation of credit card payments for taxi drivers following
the ordinance's passage. Paul Hines clarified that the new requirement would take effect sixty days after the
ordinance's approval, and notices would be issued accordingly.

Paul Hines sought the board's approval of the revised report for submission to the City Council.
Stephen Hamlin made a motion to approve the revised report, seconded by Youness Jamil. The report was
unanimously approved.

5. New Business
5. New Business

Paul Hines informed the board about an upcoming meeting with Scot Barker, the Chief Innovation Officer. The
purpose of the meeting is to discuss the potential integration of an online ride-sharing app, such as Curb, into
the Burlington taxi system. Hines expressed optimism that such an app could significantly increase business for
taxi drivers. He mentioned that there would be fees associated with using the app, which business owners would
need to pay the company.

Youness Jamil expressed enthusiasm for the potential benefits of the app to the taxi industry, stating that drivers
were willing to cover the fees in exchange for increased ride opportunities.

Tenzin Chokden shared that, based on the final city council ordinance regarding credit card acceptance, taxi
drivers will be required to start accepting credit card payments beginning January 1, 2025.

Youness Jamil requested that Paul and Tenzin contact the airport director to inquire about installing additional
taxi signs, particularly at Gate 3. He noted that currently, only Uber and Lyft signs are displayed at that location.

Paul Hines requested that Youness send him a memo detailing the specifics of the airport sign posting. He would
then forward the information to Nic Longo.

The meeting is set for 09/12 at 5:30 PM.

6. Adjournment
6. Adjournment

Stephen Hamlin motioned to adjourn. Youness Jamil seconded. Unanimously approved.