Brewster Trustees Skeptical about County Taxi Commission
Members of the Brewster Village Board of Trustees have expressed concerns about a plan to have Putnam County regulate taxis and limousines.
At the Dec. 16 board meeting the trustees declined to provide a letter to the county stating they support the concept of the creation of a county taxi and limousine commission. The board instructed Village Counsel Anthony Mole to ask the county for more information about the concept.
Mole said the county sent a Dec. 3 letter to municipalities seeking support for the commission idea. Village Clerk and Treasurer Peter Hansen noted the village had not received any documents about the proposal from the county.
In order for the county to have a commission, it needs permission from every municipality in Putnam.
Mayor James Schoenig said he had concerns about the county’s idea. One of his concerns was about taxis that would pick up commuters from the local Metro-North station. “You could have 200 taxis lined up,” he said. “Who’s going to enforce it?”
Under village code, the board of trustees serves as taxi commissioners.
The village already has taxi regulations and he did not want Brewster to lose control, Schoenig said.
Trustee Erin Meagher said having the county regulate taxis would mean the village would lose licensing fees it currently charges taxi operators. “We can’t afford to lose the revenue,” she said.
Garbage Carting Noise
Also at last week’s meeting, Schoenig said he would instruct Police Chief John Del Gardo to ticket Suburban Carting when its trucks picks up garbage prior to 7 a.m.
The waste hauler, which has the current contract with the village, is not permitted to pick up garbage prior to 7 am.
Meagher read a list of incidents when residents said Suburban Carting pricked up refuse well before 7 a.m., including one instance when the company picked up garbage at 4:40 a.m. “The village needs to enforce the noise ordinance” that prohibits garbage pickup prior to 7 a.m., she said.
A message left last week for Suburban Carting was not returned.
