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There was applause from the WinBeri Apartments residents in the back of the meeting room Thursday night.
The applause came when Marietta City Council passed Ordinance 180 (22-23), authorizing the Director of Public Safety and Service to enter into a contract with 59 Green Ltd., doing business as GreenCab of Athens, for an On-Demand, After-Hours and Alternative-Hours Transportation Pilot Program for the City of Marietta in the amount of $122,496 for a six-month period from Jan. 6 through July 7, 2023 and appropriating American Rescue Plan Act Funds for the project.
The ordinance passed as an emergency measure, after suspension of second and third readings. With the exception of Councilman Mike Scales, who was excused for a medical absence, all other council members were present and voted "aye" for its passage.
Public Safety and Service Director Steve Wetz said he thought the required cab inspections could be done by next Tuesday, and cab drivers' licenses needed to be issued by the police department. The actual start date for service will follow soon after that.
During the public comment portion of the council meeting, Win Beri resident Donna Balachowski asked for information about how the service would operate.
GreenCab owner John Rinaldi was present at the meeting and told her a cab could be summoned by calling 740-59 GREEN about half an hour before the desired pick-up time.
The fare during the pilot program period will be $3 per person, one way, for either a handicapped-accessible or standard ride. Service will be 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Saturday for a standard vehicle (a Prius), and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. those days for a wheelchair accessible van. Sunday service hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for both standard and wheelchair rides.
Rinaldi's information provided to the city says the number of passenger vehicles and wheelchair accessible vans required -- and the hours of operation -- can be changed by the city at any time during the pilot program to meet the actual demand or to meet changing budgetary requirements.
Council also passed by emergency measure two other ordinances pertaining to taxi cab service. Ordinance 181 (22-23) amends city ordinances relating to limitations in the number of operator's licenses to be granted and issued to the operators of taxicab fleets in Marietta. Ordinance 182 (22-23) amends existing ordinances to create a section that establishes the fare rate to be charged by GreenCab during the six-month pilot program period, unless extended by further action of council.
In a comment period for council members, Council Member Bret Allphin said he thought it was important to explain to people that the pilot program's use of a taxi service might be a bit confusing, since it isn't intended as a replacement or addition to any existing taxi service.
"It's an extension of our public transportation effort," he said, adding GreenCab is the mechanism for beginning the effort to meet a public transportation need.
Law Director Paul Bertram III said he wanted to emphasize that the city has not been responsible in any way for any taxi service operator's decision to discontinue service in Marietta, if that is indeed what is occurring. Bertram said after the council meeting that he knew of two people saying they had seen Ohio Valley cabs operating in town after owner Jan Hall told The Marietta Times on Wednesday that he was not providing cab service.