Taxi service explored in public forum

For a taxi service to thrive in Whitefish, it needs to be safe, reliable and possibly run under a nonprofit status, a group of about 20 citizens, business representatives and city officials concluded at a public meeting on Dec. 10 at the Whitefish Community Center.

The forum concerning Whitefish's lack of a taxi service was a follow-up to a public brainstorming session held Nov. 12 at the Great Northern Bar. Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau Executive Director Jan Metzmaker arranged the meeting.

Whitefish has been without a taxi service since Josh and Peggy Hertlein stopped running the Whitefish Taxi company about five months ago. And while the city has public transportation options such as the SNOW bus and Eagle Transit, not having a reliable taxi service, according to those at the meeting, will leave many late-night bar patrons, seniors, disabled people and tourists in the cold and without a ride this winter.

Metzmaker said in the opening of the meeting that Montana Public Service Commissioner Ken Toole "highly suggested" to her that Whitefish explore the idea of starting a taxi service under a nonprofit status.

Toole said a nonprofit would allow the city to get the service up and running soon because it wouldn't be subject to PSC regulations or to delays from any protests that could be filed with the PSC.

A number of Whitefish groups operate as a nonprofit, including the Whitefish Convention and Visitor Bureau and the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, but it's not clear if these organizations could undertake a taxi service under their bylaws.

Another advantage to a nonprofit, Metzmaker suggested, is that it wouldn't have to make any money to be financially viable — which has been a major challenge for previous taxi-service endeavors in the city.

"It just has to break even," she said.

Toole will attend the next public forum concerning the issue sometime in January.

Anyone with knowledge about the legality issues involved with setting up a nonprofit should contact the bureau or come to the next meeting.

Another concern brought up at the forum was that a taxi operation servicing the city needs to be available across a wide scope of hours — especially during peak seasonal times.

It was suggested that a small fleet of vehicles could service the city without any problems for most of the year, but during select times, like Christmas, New Years and Halloween, more cars would be needed to fulfill the demand.

Don Hines, a former taxi provider, said that if the city set up a nonprofit, drivers with the appropriate licensing could possibly be contracted out to fill voids during the busy seasons.

It was discussed that a taxi would need to service the elderly, disabled and general public as well as late-night revelers in downtown that need a safe ride home from the bars.

Some at the meeting expressed concerns about finding drivers who can do the "thankless job" of a "drunk run" in the late-night hours after the bars close.

It was said by Hines that it takes a special breed to drive intoxicated individuals home.

"It will turn a drinking man into a sober man real quick," Hines said.

Whitefish Police Det. George Kimerly told the group that any type of vehicle used should have a partition to separate the driver from the passenger for safety purposes.

"I think that a partition is an absolute must," Kimerly said.

It was also suggested the cars have plastic seats that "can be hosed out easily."

Hines told the group he is applying for a countywide taxi permit and asked group members to call the state commission and stress that the service is needed in the Flathead Valley.

The group intends to develop a questionnaire to gauge the level of interest in the business community of funding or subsidizing a taxi service.