New taxi company to go before city board

City Hall
City Hall

Residents may have a third option for ride services if the city board approves the rate sheet for GiGi Does It All Taxi Service.

The new taxi service's rates will go before the board of directors at its meeting this Tuesday, according to a staff report prepared by Don Clark, community development director, on Jan. 27. The rates for the new taxi service will be $6 for pick-up and the first two miles, and $1.50 for each additional mile, according to a rate sheet provided by Gloria S. Campbell, owner of GiGi. There also will be a $6 cancellation and no-show fee, the rate sheet states.

Along with local runs, GiGi offers transportation to the major Northwest Arkansas cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale and even will travel as far as Branson, Mo., Little Rock and Tulsa Airport, the rate sheet states. This is the third taxi company to offer ride services in Siloam Springs. Ambassador Transportation Services of Rogers expanded into Siloam Springs in 2018, according to Christina Osbourn, one of the lead administrators for Ambassador.

In Oct. 2019, Taxi Car LLC began operation in Siloam Springs, according to a staff report prepared by Clark on Sept. 27, 2019. The company is owned by Trinidad Alvarado, the staff report states. The business is operated under the name El Catrachito, according to the rate sheet provided by Taxi Car LLC. Attempts to contact Taxi Car LLC were unsuccessful.

Another item that will be discussed at the board meeting will be the introduction of Ordinance 20-04, amending Chapter 22 of the business code concerning food trucks, according to a staff report prepared on Feb. 3 by Ben Rhoads, senior planner for the city. The reason for the change relates to certain deficiencies involving the required number of parking spaces needed as well as handling a tent structure with flames underneath, the staff report states.

City staff is proposing the following changes to the code:

• Defining a membrane structure, or tent, as a structure that consists of thin flexible surfaces that carries loads primarily through tensile stresses. The surface typically consists of tarpaulin, nylon, fabric or other similar non-rigid materials and is supported by rods or poles.

• Decreasing distance from 300 feet to 200 feet that a vendor unit not associated with the Dogwood Festival may set-up from the festival.

• Zoning will be updated to include G-I (institutional) as an allowed zone for mobile vending.

• Updating parking for employee parking and dining areas to include one on-site parking space for every 200 square feet of the food truck. Employees of that food truck will be given one on-site parking space. The food truck must also provide one on-site parking space for every 200 square feet of dining space.

• Providing regulations on covered dining areas, setbacks, open flames and construction.

• Providing updated parking requirements for the site plan along with the application.

• Changing the parking limit from 45 days to 90 days.

• Correcting several typographical errors.

Other business on the city board meeting agenda includes:

• A contract for the continued sale of water to Watts, Okla.

• The purchase of a Case Backhoe for the sanitation department at a cost of $104,950 from Scott Equipment Company.

• The purchase of a side-load trash truck for the sanitation department at a cost of $293,632.86 from J&R Equipment LLC.

• The purchase of a Horizontal Grinder for the sanitation department at a cost of $590,000.84 from Bandit Industries Inc.

• The purchase of a knuckle boom truck for the electric department at a cost of $148,776.86 from Henard Utility Products Inc.

• The second reading of Ordinance 20-03 regarding the vacation of unnamed right-of-way and easements at the 300 block of Ark. Hwy. 59 N.

• Resolution 10-20 concerning the preliminary plat development permit for the Heritage Ranch addition at the 2200 block of North Carl Street will be heard again. This resolution was initially brought before the board during the Feb. 4 meeting but was tabled due to comments from the public.

General News on 02/16/2020