North Adams Council OKs Taxi Driver Criteria

By Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
02:03PM / Thursday, January 29, 2009

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council approved an ordinance change regulating taxi drivers on Tuesday night, but not without some confusion.

Two of the council's subcommittees — Public Safety and General Government — had input into the ordinance, which covers the qualifications of taxi drivers.

"We had an unusual circumstance in which a driver was denied a license although he had had one before," said City Councilor Ronald Boucher, chairman of the Public Safety Committee.

In addition to outdated language, redundancies and contradictions, the ordinance used the state's qualifications for a firearms identification card and license to carry as criteria to drive a taxi — qualifications that have become increasing stricter over the years.

"Those have changed at the state level, and have added offenses to the inability to get those licenses that we think shouldn't keep people from getting a taxi license," said Councilor Lisa Blackmer.

A potential taxi driver would still have to have a clean driving record here or in another state over the past six years, and not have two driving violations or license revocations in a lifetime. He or she also can't have a violent felony conviction, an outstanding warrant, a no-contact restraining order or be taking medicinal drugs that may hamper his or her driving ability.

Instead of using the FID criteria, the language was changed to give the North Adams police director or his designee final determination over the taxi driver's qualifications.

Police Director Michael Cozzaglio and police Lt. David Sacco attended two Public Safety meetings to review the language and offer suggestions.

Blackmer said the committee had learned from Sacco that a drunken driving conviction would disqualify someone from getting an FID - no matter when that conviction had occurred.

"If you had an operating under an influence six years ago and you haven't had another offense, then the Public Safety Committee and the Police Department feel that you should be able to get a taxi license," she said.

Councilor Gailanne Cariddi, chairman of the General Government Committee, submitted language to clarify and broaden the flexibility of the Police Department in such matters.

However, modifying and amending last-minute language changes was confusing enough to prompt Councilor Clark Billings to say "let's send this back to committee and get it right."

The ordinance passed to a second reading and publication by a vote of 8-1, with Billings the lone opponent.

The council also approved two applications for taxi drivers: Jennifer Atwell of Adams to drive for Lori Smith and William Goudreau of North Adams to drive for Candy Tripodes.

President Alan Marden continued the councilors' committee and liasion assignment through 2009 with no changes.

Billings brought up a concern of an "irate constituent" that the city had not had an electronics waste collection in some time.

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