Transportation Committee Terminates LADOT Taxi Study Contract

by Joe Linton on September 23, 2009

9_23_09_sign.jpgPhoto:ShelbyWils/Flickr
This afternoon's Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee was dominated by the taxi controversy explained in this earlier post. In brief, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) is overseeing a taxi assessment to set future taxi policy, and LADOT awarded a contract for that assessment in a manner that bypassed agreed-upon processes.

There was a great deal of testimony from taxi drivers and their allies about the lack of transparency in the process, the miserable working conditions under the current taxi system, the important opportunity presented by this assessment, and the need to rescind the contract LADOT had awarded improperly. Taxi franchise owner representatives also testified. They refuted many taxi worker claims and urged that the contracted assessment proceed unimpeded.

LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson testified that LADOT had tried to follow the process. She stated that LADOT had made a verbal request to the outgoing Transportation Committee Chair then-Council Member Wendy Greuel. Council Member Greuel didn't schedule the item during the last couple weeks of her tenure, before moving on to become City Controller. GM Robinson then felt that LADOT was losing time and wanted to get work underway as quickly as possible, hence proceeded to award the contract to Nelson/Nygaard.

Council Member Bernard Parks expressed sternly that the city was about to spend $250,000 for an objective study to make progress in resolving taxi issues, and that if the process of that study is marred from the outset, then the results of it will be suspect, and the city will be back at square one. Council Member Paul Koretz emphasized the need for a transparent and open process. Council Member Tom LaBonge and committee chair Council Member Bill Rosendahl also urged transparency as necessary to build public trust.

By far, LADOT's harshest critic at the hearing was Council Member Richard Alarcón. Alarcón repeatedly pressed LADOT's GM and representatives as to why they had gone against the explicit instructions of the city council to report back to the Transportation Committee before awarding the contract. Alarcón exclaimed that the "contract is bogus at this point" and moved that the contract be rescinded. Koretz immediately seconded the motion.

There was some discussion, including from the City Attorney representative present, as to whether the Transportation Committee (as opposed to, more likely, the full council with mayoral concurrence) actually had the power to direct the LADOT General Manager to revoke a contract. GM Robinson took the high road in this exchange, though, stating that if there was a "consensus among committee members" then LADOT could "march in that direction."

The Alarcón motion wording was then reworded, per City Attorney advice, to direct LADOT to "exercise the 30-day termination clause" on the taxi contract. The motion passed unanimously.

Rosendahl then stressed that it was important that this issue not drag out excessively. He worked out a schedule with LADOT where the issue will come before the Taxi Commission on October 15th, and then come back to the Transportation Committee on October 28th.