The Nome Common Council voted unanimously Monday night to reject a proposed ordinance that would’ve repealed the city’s taxicab and motorbus licensing requirements. Instead, the council approved a motion to reissue 11 taxicab permits through a public lottery.
The move comes as Nome’s sole taxicab operator, Nome Checker Cab, ceased operations at the end of 2025. Nome City Clerk Dan Grimmer said at the meeting that Checker Cab’s licenses expired and that he had not fielded an application to renew them as of the Jan. 12 meeting.
The vote followed more than an hour of public testimony and council debate over Ordinance O-26-01-01, which would have eliminated regulations governing taxi vehicle permits, including requirements for insurance, inspection, and identification, while retaining chauffeur licensing requirements.
Supporters of the repeal said the city’s existing ordinance is outdated and unenforced, and said its removal would help revitalize taxi service in Nome.
“I’m in favor getting rid of cab ordinances, pretty obvious,” Nome resident Steven Longley said during public comment.
Jeremy Jacobson, who also submitted a letter to the Council, spoke against removing the vehicle permit requirements outlined in the existing taxicab code – particularly the insurance mandate.
Council member Scot Henderson agreed, saying that he had heard similar concerns from others in the community.
“I think there's a higher level of protection that we should be looking at, rather than just if I see you driving your car on the street, I just assume you have insurance,” Henderson said. “And if you don't, well, probably nobody's going to check.”
Council Member Adam Lust also opposed repealing the vehicle permit requirements, citing the importance of basic consumer protections.
“It ensures that vehicles are mechanically sound so that way wheels aren’t falling off around town or taxis are crashing into things because there’s no brakes,” Lust said. “It requires signage on the exterior, so that way when people get into a cab after leaving the bar early in the morning, they can feel confident in their own safety.”
Jan. 12 Nome Common Council Meeting Replay
Lust added that he supports removing the cap on the number of licensed taxis, which is currently set at 11.
Following the 5–0 vote to reject the ordinance, council member Mark Johnson made a motion to direct the city clerk to issue 11 new permits through the existing lottery process.
Henderson spoke in favor of the new permits, calling the suspension of service from Checker Cab a “crisis”.
“We got all of these folks running around, offering rides for services, potentially, illegally. I think we can move forward with the current ordinances in place and start the process to issue new permits, get those 11 out,” Henderson said. “And then the attorney can massage the ordinance as needed.”
Grimmer said there is no specific timeline for notice of the public lottery in current city code, and that he would consult with the city attorney to finalize the process.
Council members also discussed potential changes to the code in the future, including raising or removing the permit cap, implementing expiration rules for inactive permits, and exploring business licensing models used in other communities such as Bethel.
