Epstein presses DCWP on incentives and enforcement tools
Epstein worries that new regulations may hurt licensed operators while unlicensed ones ignore them. He asks what tools DCWP needs beyond ticketing, and Ortiz says the administration is open to discussing additional tools and wants Council action.
So let me ask you.
Since this becomes a vastly unregulated industry by DCWP, since three-quarters of the people are licensed, so they're not regulated by you, passing further regulations is still going to then
potentially hurt the licensed people who are already being regulated by you because you can revoke their license.
And give more free reign to the unregulated people because they're like, well, not being regulated now, so the additional regulations won't hurt them.
How do we incentivize it enough to get people in the fold to actually apply?
Well, I think let's take an example of the meters or rates, for example, or improved signage around rates.
That is something that the police department would be able to enforce, whether that's an unlicensed or a licensed actor.
So I think there's an ability to have new regulations here that we could use as further tools for enforcement of the issues that are arising.
I think to what we've been discussing throughout the day is we need other solutions as well in terms of greater communication channels between agencies, greater communication channels with stakeholders.
These things we also have to incorporate.
I'm just worried that the tool we have in our tool belt, which is ticketing, seems like not a really strong enforcement mechanism here to force people into a legal system.
And I'm wondering what advice...
As the overseeing agency would have to craft other solutions besides just having NYPD continue to take it.
90% of those tickets aren't enforced.
Like, what other tools do you think you need to have?
We're talking about pricing.
You know, obviously, that's a– but that's just– people don't list the prices.
It's just more tickets.
Like, I think we need other tools here to be able to push people into a regulatory scheme.
I think we're open to having that conversation about what additional tools the administration can have for this industry.
And you just haven't come up with tools yet that you...
Well, we've been working with folks in this room to try and address the situation for years, and we want to keep working at that.
There's tools that ideally the council can give us today, and we'd be very excited for that.
But it doesn't mean the conversation stops there.
Okay.