City to discuss Uber regulations, homelessness

City staff is working to keep up with the times, asking the City Commission for help drafting an ordinance tackling the oversight of companies like Uber in Sarasota.

At a meeting today, staff and commissioners will discuss the potential new rules, which have been in development for about a month. The city’s existing vehicle-for-hire regulations, which govern taxi operations, do not cover “transportation network companies” like Uber or Lyft, which first came to Sarasota late last year.

Since that time, the city has been examining methods for providing some sort of oversight to these new services, which are growing in popularity nationwide. Although companies like Uber maintain they have rigorous internal guidelines for drivers and vehicles, staff has expressed concern about the degree to which these operations can be regulated independently.

The city has looked to other cities and counties for guidance in preparation for drafting a new ordinance, examining regulations in areas from Hilsborough County and Orlando to Houston. Staff has also outlined some of their areas of concern, including driver background checks, fare rates, vehicle standards and insurance.

City Parking Manager Mark Lyons is scheduled to present a report of staff’s findings to the commission today, at which point the board will offer some direction regarding the development of a new ordinance pertaining specifically to transportation network companies.

Also at today’s City Commission meeting:

City Manager Tom Barwin will provide an update regarding homelessness issues in the city. At a recent event, homelessness consultant Robert Marbut was openly critical of the city’s management of those issues. The city split from the county during a Marbut-directed plan to construct a homeless shelter within city limits, and is pursuing its own housing-first model for reducing the homeless population in Sarasota.

The full agenda for today’s meeting can be found on the city website.