Transportation and Commerce Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026: Board Bill 25 on Peer-to-Peer Ground Transportation
Transportation and Commerce Committee Meeting - February 10, 2026
The Transportation and Commerce Committee of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen met on February 10, 2026, to consider Board Bill 25, which addresses peer-to-peer ground transportation operators at Lambert International Airport. The committee reviewed a committee substitute, heard public testimony, and adopted amendments before voting to pass the bill with a due pass recommendation.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The committee unanimously approved the meeting minutes from December 15, 2025 (5-0 vote).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Airport Director Rhonda Ham-Nebrook (via letter): The airport director submitted a letter opposing Board Bill 25, citing concerns about the timing during critical airline negotiations, contradictions with existing ordinances, and the need for a holistic approach to ground transportation regulation. She noted that the bill would lock in a regulatory scheme before the airport could evaluate its pilot program and requested the committee not recommend passage.
- Don LeFave (President, American Car Rental Association): Testified in strong support of Board Bill 25, arguing that peer-to-peer platforms like Turo should operate under the same rules as traditional rental car companies to ensure fairness, equal customer access, and protection of city revenue. He stated that the current permit is a step in the right direction but that legislation is needed to enshrine standards into law.
Discussion Items
- Committee Substitute and Amendments: Chair Cohn introduced a committee substitute for Board Bill 25, largely based on a floor substitute previously provided by airport staff. He then proposed three amendments to add new whereas clauses to address concerns raised by the airport director:
- Clarifying that the city has authority under existing ordinances (69382 and 71242) to designate areas for ground transportation operators.
- Acknowledging that a holistic ground transportation ordinance is needed and expected within two years, but that the current bill addresses a specific gap.
- Recognizing that the airport authority and director already entered into a no-bid contract with a peer-to-peer operator in August 2025, confirming the need for regulations.
- Committee Questions: Alderman Schweitzer and Alderman Cox and Twee asked about designated areas, fee structures, and the relationship to future holistic ordinances. Chair Cohn confirmed that the fees in the bill mirror the existing contract and that specific dollar amounts are already present in current ordinances. He also noted that the airport aims to include peer-to-peer operators in a future comprehensive update.
Key Outcomes
- Amendments Adopted: The committee unanimously adopted the three whereas clause amendments to the committee substitute (5-0).
- Board Bill 25 Passed: The committee voted 5-0 to pass Board Bill 25 committee substitute as amended with a due pass recommendation to the full Board of Aldermen.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned after the vote.
Meeting Transcript
Alderman Nrian. Alderman Aldenberg, I'm sorry. Here and just FYI change microphone is not on, I don't believe. Mine. Oh, I can hear you now. Okay. Alderman Oldenberg. Present. Alderman Narayan. Alderwoman Schweitzer. Present. Alderwoman Cox and Twee. Chair Cohn. Present. Five I five votes. We have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. The next item on our agenda is the approval of the meeting minutes. Tuesday, December 16th. I'll entertain a motion on meeting minutes. I move we approve the meeting minutes from uh the date you referenced. Can't hear you, Mr. Oldenberg. I don't think Mike is I move we approve the minutes from the last meeting. It's been moved by the alderman from the second, second by the alderwoman from the eighth that we approve our meeting minutes from Tuesday, December 15th, 2025. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Alderman Oldenberg. Alderman Narayan. Alderwoman Schweitzer. Alderwoman Cox and Twee. Aye. Chair Cone. Five I votes. Madam Clerk. Next item on the agenda. The only thing on our agenda for today is Board Bill 25, which previously passed out of committee unanimously. There is a committee substitute that was set out last week for the committee to review. There have been many conversations and a couple meetings regarding this. For those of you uh tuning in, uh this is related to peer-to-peer ground transportation operators at Lambert International Airport. Um the initial bill as it was originally introduced last year, um, was amending Title 18. Um, as some of you on the committee may recall. Um, there was uh two committee meetings that we had related to this that were very robust conversations. Um we heard from you know various ground transportation operators, we heard from the airport. Uh the airport folks had you know several concerns um predominantly related to at the time amending Title 18. Umce it passed out of committee, the uh staff at the airport provided a floor substitute that was never introduced. Um this committee substitute is largely based off of the floor substitute that was provided by the airport staff at that time. Um there were uh you know also considerations made for the existing contract with uh two row, which was the ground transportation operator that was operating illegally at the airport for six years. Um that contract was approved by the airport commission on August 7th of last year, uh was executed by the airport director on uh September 1st and started collecting revenue on October 1st related to that particular peer-to-peer ground transportation operator. Um, I am bringing this forward uh because you know, we do need to update the ground transportation uh uh ordinance, and uh to take this into consideration, um, particularly since it's been acknowledged by the airport authority and staff that there is a new industry existing at the airport that they execute the contract in relation to. Um, I have a couple amendments that I'll uh discuss later in the meeting that address some of the concerns, I believe, of uh the airport uh staff that were discussed in a meeting yesterday uh that included the mayor's office, the president's office, myself, and um other folks, but um I think that that's a general overview and summary of where things are today with Port Bill 25.
openpublica.com