April Burbank

Free Press Staff Writer

SOUTH BURLINGTON – The owners of a new car service are pushing against suggestions they should be licensed and inspected by Burlington officials.

Cathy Robar and Shelley Palmer defended their company, Big Brother Security Programs, at a regulatory hearing Thursday at Burlington International Airport, where taxi and contract-vehicle businesses are regulated.

"We don't want to be a taxi. We've been in the taxi business for over 35 years," said Robar, a long-time employee of Benways Transportation, which closed in July. Big Brother stepped in to fill the gap left by Benways, including specialized services such as rides in wheelchair-accessible minivans.

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"Seven months ago when Benways/Morf closed the doors, that was it for us," Robar told the Burlington Taxi Licensing Appeals Panel. "So we decided we'd go the other way and do private car service."

Big Brother is not licensed as a contract vehicle business in Burlington, and from the city's perspective, its legal status remains unresolved. In July, Burlington taxi administrator Isaac Trombley told the Burlington Free Press that he believed Big Brother should be regulated under the vehicles-for-hire ordinance.

The owners say the majority of their business is transporting public schoolchildren and customers in wheelchairs, and all the customers come through contracts.

"All of our vehicles say 'not for hire' on them," Palmer said.

Burlington's regulations contain specific exemptions for transportation of elderly and handicapped persons, and Palmer argued that transportation of schoolchildren is regulated by state law rather than local ordinances.

"We don't want to go downtown and pick somebody up off the curb that flags you down," Robar said. "We don't want any of that. We just want to keep it small and protected."

Thursday's meeting at the Taxi Licensing Appeals Panel was a chance to hear from the company directly, Chairman Jeff Munger said.

The panel had summoned Robar and Palmer in a letter, asking them to explain why they were exempt from city ordinances.

The City Attorney's Office will review the arguments raised at the hearing, Munger said.

"They may be right that they don't fall under the ordinance's jurisdiction, but that's going to be a determination by the City Attorney's Office," Munger said Thursday afternoon.

Palmer said he will take his fight to court if Burlington decides to impose penalties or fines on the company.

In addition to raising questions about Big Brother, Burlington also is working to regulate Uber, the smartphone app that connects users with rides in private cars. City Attorney Eileen Blackwood said last month that Uber was operating in violation of the law, but the city was willing to work with Uber on a special agreement.

Mayor Miro Weinberger also has announced plans to change the system for regulating taxis in Burlington, including a plan to run taxi and contract vehicle issues through City Hall rather than Burlington International Airport.

Contact April Burbank at 802-660-1863 or aburbank@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AprilBurbank.