The taxi-alternative Uber reportedly scored a flawless 19-hour dress rehearsal on the highways and byways of Jefferson City during Monday's gubernatorial inauguration. Now Uber, which claims it handled 1,000 local rides on inauguration day, hopes to move legislation into the local municipal process - likely at a Jan. 26 committee discussion.
That means transportation network companies (TNCs), like Uber, will need one or more members of the Jefferson City Council's Public Safety Committee to broach the subject at its meeting scheduled for that date.
"No Uber-related bill from the city is on an agenda yet," City Administrator Steve Crowell said this week. "I understand that there may be some consideration of proposing a bill at a committee meeting of the City Council. However, no such agenda item, nor bill, has yet to be scheduled."
However, city counselor Ryan Moehlman suggested Wednesday, "There should be a discussion at the Public Safety Committee meeting on Jan. 26 regarding ride-sharing. Nothing for Tuesday the 17th (the next City Council meeting)."
And Ward 2 Councilman J. Rick Mihalevich, who sponsored the TNC legislation which put Uber to work on inauguration day, said Wednesday he was considering filing a pro-Uber bill at the Jan. 26 meeting.
Ward 3 Councilwoman Erin Wiseman said Thursday she is hopeful Moehlman has the time to get that new ordinance ready for the meeting.
"We have asked our attorney, and we hope he has time to have something drafted and current ordinances revised by Jan. 26 for Uber (and the) taxi company so we can review it and hopefully speed up the process," said Wiseman, who also is an attorney. "What I think we are forgetting is that the city currently regulates the taxicab company, and I think we need to make sure the playing ground is even. As a government entity, we don't want to give an unfair advantage to any company.
"I've heard a lot of support for utilizing Uber. I think the community is excited about the possibilities," Wiseman added. "We have a lot of exciting things going on right now with the Capitol Avenue renewal process. There is a lot of passion about this area really pushing revitalization. I think these are exciting times."
Wiseman's comments reflect the overarching attitude inside city government.
Mihalevich, Wiseman and other City Council members, as well as Mayor Carrie Tergin, have been advocating local adoption of the pro-Uber legislation. They succeeded in passing the temporary measure last week permitting the app-based service to offer free rides on inauguration day.
Local Uber politics even found its way to new Gov. Eric Greitens' Twitter world. He used his personal account to encourage the City Council to pass the bill.
Save a perfunctory question about insurance and driver's background checks, there was nary an objection to allowing Uber drivers to cruise the Capital City for customers.
Uber's presentation to the City Council included testimony from local government affairs advocate Becky Lohmann; state Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit; and David Nyaberi, an assistant professor of art education at Lincoln University who is a regular driver for Uber. Nyaberi and some 50 other Jefferson Citians certified to drive for Uber now travel to Columbia to collect riders and their $1.35-per-mile fares. Uber, which operates in Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia and Springfield, also says it has at least 100 drivers in Columbia.
Rich Chrismer, a former Jefferson Citian who, for the past seven years, has been a principal in St. Louis public relations and communications firm Seen, Read, Heard, is leading the effort to win the votes of local and state officials in Missouri for Uber. Uber paid each driver the fees he or she earned shuttling passengers to and from Greitens' inaugural events.
State legislation legalizing TNCs came close to clearing the General Assembly in 2016, and new bills have been introduced for consideration in the 2017 session.