Council delays action on cab license changes

Proposed changes to Spokane’s licensing requirements for cab drivers ran into enough opposition on Monday that the proposal had to be parked for a week.

Spokane City Council members voted to defer action on the measure when it became apparent there were not enough votes to pass it.

The proposal would tighten licensing standards so that Level II and Level III sex offenders would not be able to obtain cab licenses, and other new restrictions on those licenses.

Council President Dennis Hession was attending a national conference and Councilman Brad Stark was reported to be ill.

Neither was at Monday’s council meeting.

Council members Bob Apple and Al French said they were going to vote “no.”

That left only three possible “yes” votes.

It takes at least four votes to approve an ordinance.

The ordinance is a watered-down version of a previous proposal submitted by Councilman Joe Shogan, which had included a requirement for random drug testing for cabbies.

Random tests were removed from the proposal after the council’s lawyer said it might not be constitutional.

However, it still would require an applicant to submit a satisfactory drug test each year.

The city currently has about 300 licensed for-hire drivers.

The proposal also would prohibit licenses to anyone who has failed to appear in court on any kind of traffic or criminal charge, and has not subsequently appeared to answer the charges.

In addition, drivers would be required to report any changes in their eligibility to hold licenses within 15 days of the changes.

At Monday’s hearing, cab driver John LeLouis endorsed the prohibition against some sex offenders holding cab licenses, saying children are frequently placed in cabs alone with drivers.

He said he and other members of the Spokane Owner/Driver Association support the changes.

Cab driver Brian Klein complained about the cost of drug tests, as well as the costs to comply with other elements of the licensing process.

He said the current system of drug testing is far from foolproof since some drivers can have themselves privately tested over and over until the test comes back negative for drugs.

They can then submit the successful test for licensing.

Apple said the licensing changes would not solve the problem of unlicensed cabs and vans operating in Spokane.

“I am not sure we are addressing the real problem,” he said.

French said he is concerned that the licensing system relies on affidavits from drivers that amount only to their “say-so” that they are not sex offenders and do not have a recent criminal history.

Spokane Police Officer M. Jordan Ferguson said in an interview that he performs background checks on all applicants to make sure that their criminal histories match the information provided on applications.