Council Member Gennaro proposes amendment to extend horse carriage phase-out to 2030

Thank you, Speaker Menon.

We will now move into discussion of general orders.

I recognize Councilmember Gennaro, who wishes to speak on some matters.

Thank you, Mr.

Majority Leader.

I move to amend Intro 943A.

I think the best description of the...

Of the amendment I was told would come from the parliamentarian.

If you could explain to the members what this amendment would do.

I don't think the clock should be running until the amendment is explained to the members.

Thank you, Council Member.

Anyone else would like to speak on the amendment being proposed?

But we don't know what it is yet.

The motion to amend is the following.

A yes will extend effective date to January 1st, 2030 as part of Section 17-327A2.

And if we vote on this amendment, it will lay over Intro 943A for the next stated for a vote.

A no vote will leave Intro 943A unchanged and we will vote on it today.

Anyone who wishes, we can now go to roll call.

Anyone who wishes to speak has two minutes to speak.

But I speak for you.

General, you may finish your time.

Okay.

Council member, my apologies.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Majority Leader.

When we were listening to Father Kalilia, he made mention in his benediction, he talked about drivers working to make ends meet.

That was part of his blessing.

And I think, I don't think anyone wants to see the drivers in this good industry put upon in such a way that they will be unable to feed their families.

And as the bill stands now, we would receive, or they would receive, the city would receive

a document from the mayor, a plan that would take care of the disposition of the horses, the disposition of the workers into new jobs, and the disposition of the medallions.

Understanding that, you know, the language associated with that is, will consider reimbursement, consider, it's a pig in a poke.

Like, I get it.

And so this is how it's playing out.

The drivers were promised, the city was promised that...

The program for the workers, for the drivers, for the medallion owners, to quote the speaker on 7-16-26, we need to do more to protect the workers.

We're really trying to come up with more robust language, which I think needs to be inserted into that bill.

That never actually happened.

And so what I'm really asking for is if this thing comes out on April 1st like it's supposed to, then the industry's got 14 months to pack up because they don't know what is going to be in that.

They don't know what's going to be in that report.

And what I'm asking for is give them an extra 18 months to figure out their lives because they were supposed to have today what they need.

So they know what's going to become of them.

That won't exist at best until April 1st of 2001.

Thank you, Mr.

Majority Leader.