Kent City Council discusses Uber and new Recycling

Kent City Council discussed multiple issues in their monthly meeting Tuesday night; among those, the approval of the Transportation Network Providers code amendment and an update on the Portage County Solid Waste District installment.

Led in discussion by city law director James Silver, the Transportation Network Providers code is a follow up on what the council discussed in a previous meeting on the transportation company of Uber.

As recently as this week, the OH senate was sent over a bill from committee of approval to regulate the company statewide. Not knowing how long the bill will be hung up in senate, Silver and city manager Dave Ruller still wish to continue to push to license the transportation network provider, along with licensing the driver to ensure no criminal record, a safe car and up to date insurance. Silver mentioned a new addition to the amendment that the car would have a sticker located on the back window to indicate to fellow drivers and law enforcement that the car is a transportation vehicle.

Silver also suggested to the council that company should pay an income tax to the city.

“I’m convinced that we (Kent) are receiving nothing from Uber as we speak, and they are taking money out of the city everyday,” Silver said.

Though Silver’s amendment might not level the competition with Uber and longstanding Kent taxi companies, he did say it does cover all the safety issues. He described the amendment as needed and recommended for the safety of Kent.

Some of the things the amendment wont cover is not having Uber drivers display a taxi sign on top of the car, and a displayed license inside of the vehicle, though Silver said you can receive that information from the Uber application on your phone.

Ward 4 Councilman John Kuhar motioned to approve the amendment immediately and the council voted unanimously yes.

Bill Steiner, director at the Portage County Solid Waste Management District, announced Tuesday night that the city of Kent would be going to a single stream recycling system. Along with that, the Solid Waste Management District has purchased five new different styled trucks for the pick up of recycled items. Steiner described the trucks as “forward thinking technology” and some of the “most advanced trucks out there.”

The tucks will also be an upgrade from the previously “rusty” red trucks, to new distinctively white trucks that the community can easily pick out.

Steiner wants to make clear that the new process is strictly for recycling and it will not be combing the pick up of trash. He describes the main goal as “recycle, not landfill”.

Council-at-Large, Melissa Long expressed her gratitude to Steiner for the new system.

“This is something that people who have been interested in recycling have wanted to see happen for the last 20 years. I’m so glad to see we’ve come this far,” Long said.

Steiner was hoping the new single stream recycling would debut within the months of December or January, but due to an extensive amount of truck training and determining which communities will receive recycling carts, the new system wont be in action until February.