Chattanooga: Divergent opinions surface on new transportation panel

Valuable expertise and knowledge will disappear from the city Transportation Board if a proposal is adopted to alter its makeup, according to a local taxi company owner.

The City Council’s Legal and Legislative Committee plans to discuss Tuesday a new approach that replaces industry representative on the board with nonindustry members. The changes would occur after the current members’ terms expire in 2009 and 2010.

Tim Duckett, owner and chief executive officer of Millennium Taxi Service and a member of the Transportation Board, said he and board members like him have extensive understanding of how the businesses work and what they need. To lose that knowledge would be a mistake, he said.

The Transportation Board approves and denies permit applications to operate vehicles in the city and for drivers to get permits to operate them.

City officials need to look at the level of industry representation on other local boards if they are going to try to push him and other industry voices from the Transportation Board, Mr. Duckett said.

“If people think it’s a conflict of interest, I want them to go through every board,” he said.

Three industry representatives currently serve on the nine-member transportation board: Mr. Duckett, George Fletcher of Mercury Cab and Bruce Rollins of Chattanooga Carriage.

Mr. Rollins, noting the fees that transportation businesses must pay to operate in the city, said phasing industry representatives off the board would be unfair.

“I feel like that’s taxation without representation,” Mr. Rollins said.

City Councilman Manny Rico, who sat on the old Taxi and Horse Carriage Board and is a member of the new Transportation Board, has said repeatedly that he thinks it is a conflict of interest for industry members to be regulating their own line of business and influencing competition or potential competition.

Mr. Duckett said Mr. Rico’s position on the board violates the principle of separation of powers for Mr. Rico to serve on the transportation board while he’s also a councilman.

“A city councilman cannot legislate and then regulate,” Mr. Duckett said.

Mr. Rico said Mr. Duckett’s argument “doesn’t make any sense.”

“If he’ll come off, I’ll gladly come off,” said Mr. Rico. “It’s a hassle and you get a lot of flack for it. ... I don’t care about being on there.”

The Transportation Board came about after complaints surfaced that the old Taxi and Horse Carriage board had too many industry representatives.

City Councilman Jack Benson said some industry members in the community feel that their specific sectors are not represented on the new board.

“I didn’t realize how diversified the industry was,” Mr. Benson said.

The board, created by a new city law, now regulates not only taxis and horse carriages but also limos, pedicabs, Segways and other modes of transportation.

As for looking at the industry representation of other boards, Mr. Rico said officials will investigate if someone raises an issue.

“If somebody brings a complaint, we will look at it; that’s all we’ve done with this taxi board,” Mr. Rico said.

There are 71 boards or commissions in the city and county, the Times Free Press has reported.

Attorney Bart Quinn, chairman of the Transportation Board, said the makeup of the panel is out of his hands since the mayor appoints the membership of the transportation board.

“As chairman of the board, it’s not my responsibility nor is it my obligation to determine the composition of the board or who’s chosen to fill any open seats,” Mr. Quinn said.