St. Augustine tightens rules for vehicles‑for‑hire and horse carriage franchises; ordinances pass after heated public comment

The St. Augustine City Commission on July 13 adopted two interrelated ordinances that revise the city’s rules for vehicles‑for‑hire and franchise operations, including horse‑drawn carriages, after extensive public testimony about animal welfare and safety.

Assistant City Manager Rudin Franklin summarized changes to Chapter 27 (Ordinance 2026‑10) and Chapter 14 (Ordinance 2026‑11), saying the ordinances set caps for low‑speed/tour vehicles, codify penalties and impoundment, create exclusion zones by resolution, and revise insurance and inspection requirements. "We set limits for the pedicab operators and the number of cabs," Franklin said, and noted staff had lowered the combined insurance requirement for certain tier‑2 operators from $1,000,000 to $300,000 and added an impoundment provision and code‑of‑conduct language revised after review by the St. Augustine Law Group (Rudin Franklin).

Why it matters: the ordinances create an enforceable framework where the industry was previously unregulated or managed informally. Among the key changes: tier definitions for operators, caps on the number of vehicles per operator, mandatory medallions and visible identification for enforcement, biannual city veterinary inspections for carriage horses, a wet‑bulb globe temperature cutoff of 90° for equine work, and procedural language allowing administrative suspension of franchises when complaints arise. Staff also said a franchise could be terminated on conviction of animal cruelty.

Public testimony was polarizing. Opponents of carriage operations presented videos and photographs they said show horses working with open wounds, drivers leaving animals unattended, and instances of unsafe handling. "Barbie was forced to work with an open laceration," Heather Wilson told the commission, summarizing photographs and a timeline she says shows the horse returned to work days after injury (Heather Wilson). Catherine Zoda urged the city to "wind down" the carriage industry and asked staff to obtain original veterinary records and any clearance that permitted injured animals to return to service (Catherine Zoda). Several speakers called for an outright ban.

Industry representatives and local tour operators urged a more conservative implementation of caps and protections for incumbent businesses. Ed Swift, representing Old Town Trolley, asked the commission to reduce proposed sightseeing vehicle counts and to grandfather existing operators. "Do not take anything away from existing businesses," Swift said, urging a conservative approach to limit traffic and protect long‑established tour providers (Ed Swift). Richard Brooks of the St. Augustine Law Group recommended limiting city investigations to conduct that would align with prosecutable state animal‑abuse standards to reduce staff burden while retaining administrative suspension authority as needed (Richard Brooks).

Commission action and votes: On Ordinance 2026‑10 (vehicles for hire), the commission accepted a floor amendment reducing the number of cabs per permit from three to two, with grandfathering for current operators allowed to retain a third vehicle; the ordinance passed on second reading by roll call, 4–1. On Ordinance 2026‑11 (franchises), the commission likewise moved to limit tier‑2 franchises to two vehicles with a grandfather clause for currently active, code‑compliant third vehicles; that ordinance was adopted on second reading by an affirmative roll call vote.

What remains: staff will return with a fee schedule and maps for exclusion zones and medallion placement; commissioners repeatedly emphasized enforcement capacity as a pivotal next step. Several commissioners said franchise and medallion fees should be set to recover the full cost of oversight, including additional staffing for inspections and compliance work. "These fees should be able to pay for staff," Commissioner Springfield said, arguing that franchise fees must cover enforcement costs (Commissioner Springfield).

The ordinances create a staged regulatory framework the commission characterized as conservative: caps with grandfathering for incumbents, clearer animal‑welfare standards, and administrative mechanisms to suspend or terminate franchises when abuse is proven or criminally charged. Final adoption, staff rule‑making (fee schedules, maps) and enforcement plans remain the immediate follow‑up tasks. The ordinances are effective according to the code language adopted at second reading.

Ending: Commissioners said the measures represent a compromise between protecting public safety and animal welfare and preserving established local tourism businesses while staff develops the specifics of enforcement and fees.