By Lookout Staff

June 22, 2010 -- The City Council tonight will consider awarding taxi cab franchises under a plan established last year to reduce the number of cabs in the city. The City received 13 applications for the franchises, and City staff has recommended franchises be granted to five applicants. The council has the final say on the matter.

The council approved the franchise system in July of last year as an attempt to significantly reduce the number of cabs in Santa Monica, which according to City staff has the most per capita in the county. The new law cut the number of cabs in half to a maximum of 250 (See: Santa Monica Curbs Cabs, July 2, 2009.)

Those recommended for franchises based on a scoring system approved by the City Council are Bell Cab Company, Independent Taxi Owners Association, Metro Cab Company, Taxi Taxi and Yellow Cab Company. Staff has recommended that each franchise be allowed to use 50 vehicles in this city.

Also at the meeting, the council will consider a proposal by Mayor Bobby Shriver to request City staff explore possible changes to council meetings so their length can be shortened. Among the concepts Shriver would like staff to explore are eliminating the presentation of oral staff reports and allocating a time budget for each council member to speak on an item.

Shriver also wants staff to find out what other communities with the council/City manager do to shorten the length of meetings.

Council members Robert Holbrook and Terry O’Day have endorsed Shriver’s recommendations.

Shriver was appointed mayor last month. The position is ceremonial, but one feature is getting to run the meetings. Shriver is a vocal critic of lengthy council sessions. During meetings, council members are asked to take a vote to continue the session past 11 p.m. if the meeting is still going on at that time. This is usually a formality, but Shriver almost always votes against continuing the meeting.

Holbrook has also been a critic of lengthy meetings, and in the past attempted legal action along with Council member Herb Katz to shorten them.

If a majority of the council votes for this concept, staff will come back with suggestions at the July 13 meeting.