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Members of the Kentucky Limousine Association welcomed Chauffeur Driven‘s Editor Madeleine Maccar to their April 14 meeting
Louisville, Ky. — In its last meeting before the Kentucky Derby grabs hold of the region, the Kentucky Limousine Association (KLA) convened on April 14 to discuss the association’s lobbying efforts, address old and new business, and begin planning for August’s 10-day state fair.
The association had previously hired a business advocacy firm, The Rotunda Group, to assist with the regulatory issues it has in regard to TNCs, and lobbyist Riggs Lewis provided an update on legislative affairs. The group has been meeting with local government representatives on behalf of the KLA, and in mid-May will bring one of its members along to discuss the association’s issues with the chairmen of both the House and Senate’s transportation committees.
HB-207—a bill that not only laid out TNC regulations but also recognized what Lewis called “legislatively brand-new territory” with a new section of the Kentucky Revised Statutes—passed 90-7 in the House earlier this year. But the specifics of enforcing those regulations and the authority to do so continue to be murky areas, especially since Uber and Lyft have been pushing back and launching local campaigns to drum up fresh support.
KLA President Carey Fieldhouse of R & R Limousine and KLA Secretary Kent Sparks of Lake Cumberland Limousine
App-on/app-off insurance coverage and safety education are the new TNC battlegrounds in Kentucky, and Lewis advised KLA’s members that, if they’re unhappy with something, “we can always amend a statute to any session we want to be more specific because, typically… a statute is always a trump card over regulation.” The next step, he said, is to apply pressure to the cabinet to have regulations put in place to the KLA’s liking.
The conversation then moved to association matters, with Jenny Summit of Xtreme Transportation delivering the treasurer’s report and KLA President Carey Fieldhouse of R & R Limousine inviting members to suggest ideas for fleshing out future meetings’ non-business content. Guest speakers, site visits to members’ facilities, and a trip to local coachbuilding factories were all among the considerations for future meetings to include.
KLA’s booth at the Kentucky State Fair this August was also on the docket for the monthly meeting, particularly in terms of what vehicle will be on display for the 10-day event. As previous fairs have proven with stretch limousines and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters drawing a significant crowd, Todd Roberts of Jaco Limousine Service pointed out that “the vehicle is a huge deal” when it comes to booth traffic.
The meeting ended on a light note, as NeVelle Skaggs of Skaggs Limousine & Transportation talked about how the TV show “Flip My Food” will be filming at his company’s showroom on April 24 for a segment about cooking in RVs.
Chauffeur Driven’s Editor Madeleine Maccar was on hand for the meeting, and spoke about both the magazine and CD’s upcoming events. She also raffled off a pass to CD’s Miami show, which was won by Summit.
KLA will not be holding a May meeting because of the Kentucky Derby, but will regroup on June 2 in Louisville.
Visit kylimo.org for more information.
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(L to R): Olga Spirina of Air One Limousine, Chauffeur Driven Publisher Chris Weiss, and Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments
San Francisco — About 65 people were in attendance when the Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) met on April 14 at the Embassy Suites, with Chosen Payments and GPD Capital Services sponsoring the evening meeting.
As the San Francisco 49ers’ home turf will play host to Super Bowl 50 next year, GCLA board member Joel Amato of Gateway Global brought in representatives from the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee—Director of Transportation & Logistics Kevin Solon and VP of Marketing & Communications Stephanie Martin—to speak at the meeting.
“They talked about making sure where all the parking will be, and what percentage of the transportation will be mass transit and how much will be corporate,” said GCLA President Kevin Illingworth of Classique Worldwide Transportation. “They were great and very informative.”
Joseph Lorden, an attorney with Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith, discussed labor law and the new sick-leave ruling that will go into effect July 1, which mandates that an employee gets one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours they work. He also offered an overview of the employee model versus the independent contractor model though, according to Illingworth, the bulk of his speech focused on sick leave and how to address it with your staff.
(L to R): Kevin Solon and Stephanie Martin of the San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, Ryan Silva of Epic Limousines, and Joel Amato of Gateway Global
Illingworth provided insights into the association’s recent legislative progress, as he said that the association is currently involved with 17 bills that are being sent through the House. AB-863, which the Assembly Transportation Committee unanimously passed earlier this month, eliminated the fifth-door requirement on vehicles modified before July 1, 2015, and pushed back the compliance period for push-out windows to the beginning of 2017. “That was a big win for us,” Illingworth said.
The most pressing current issue for GCLA is AB-828, an assembly bill that would allow TNCs to operate without commercial insurance. GCLA board member Chris Quinn of Corporate Transportation Solutions had testified against the bill on behalf of the association at an April 20 hearing in Sacramento.
Chauffeur Driven’s Publisher Chris Weiss also spoke at the meeting, covering topics such as the industry, the economy, and the recent Certify study that brought Uber’s threat to the livery industry into stark reality by showing a 32 percent jump in the TNC’s usage from March 2014 to March 2015. Weiss also raffled off two passes to the October Miami show, which were won by Olga Spirina of Air One Limousine and Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments—though Brodsly will be giving his pass to an operator.
Illingworth, who said that the April meeting drew a larger crowd than usual, was quick to give credit to GCLA’s board of directors for helping the association garner legislative victories for the industry as well as making its events so successful. “I wanted to commend Joel Amato and his team for setting up a great meeting in the Bay Area. He’s a first year board member and is doing a great job,” he said.
GCLA is planning to meet May 12 in Los Angeles.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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Show pass winner Dave Erdman (left) of Executive Car Service with Chauffeur Driven’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela
Dallas — The allas/Fort Worth Limousine Association (DFWLA) held its first meeting in more than a year at the Hilton Anatole Hotel on April 8. Chauffeur Driven’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela was among the nearly 40 who attended the meeting, much of which was spent discussing local ordinances, TNCs, and plans for the association.
With current members comprising about half of the meeting’s attendance, President Richard Weiner of Carey Dallas emphasized that membership in the association is critical in order to participate in, be engaged in, and assist with DFWLA’s present and future initiatives.
An array of ordinances pertaining to operations in Fort Worth, Dallas, and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport were discussed. Fort Worth’s ordinance is being completely rewritten, and Dallas’s will be undergoing quite the overhaul, too: the current age and mileage restrictions on vehicles will be removed; the 31-Point inspection will be mandatory but can be performed at a number of approved locations throughout the region; all documentation can now be submitted online; and a revision to longstanding regulations will treat all ground transportation services, including TNCs, equally.
Additionally, the airport will begin accepting permits from surrounding counties. The parking fees it imposes on livery services will still be higher than those it charges the general public.
During the meeting, Jagiela spoke to members about Chauffeur Driven’s upcoming events and raffled off a pass to its Miami show, which was won by Dave Erdman of Executive Car Service.
The association will be holding elections at DFWLA’s next meeting, which will be in May with the day and time to be determined.
Visit dfwlimoassociation.com for more information.
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