(a) Any person or entity seeking to operate a business providing taxicab or vehicle for hire service shall submit an application in writing, signed by the operator, and shall set forth all information required, including but not limited to the following:
(1) Name and address of each operator applying to operate taxicabs or vehicles for hire;
(2) Fictitious business name of the operator, if any;
(3) Mailing address and business telephone number of the operator;
(4) Name, address, age and driver’s license number of each employee who will be driving the operator’s vehicles;
(5) Total number of vehicles to be operated in the city under the operator’s permit and, for each of such vehicles the manufacturer, model year, vehicle type, vehicle identification number (“VIN”), license plate number, passenger capacity and proof of commercial registration;
(6) Description of the color scheme, insignia, trade style and/or any other unique characteristics of the taxicab or vehicle for hire design and placement of city required markings and company markings;
(7) The street address(es) from which the operator conducts or will conduct the taxicab or vehicle for hire business; where dispatch will be conducted; and each location at which the business’s vehicles will be garaged;
(8) Prior experience of the operator in a taxicab or vehicle for hire business, including the details of any prior permit denial, revocation or suspension by any public agency of any type of operator’s or driver’s permit, license or certificate;
(9) A certification that no driver employed or to be employed by the operator has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in any state within three calendar years preceding the date of application;
(10) A certification that no driver employed or to be employed by the operator has been convicted of any violent felony offense or sex-related offense within five calendar years preceding the date of application;
(11) Rates to be charged to the public throughout the term of the operator’s permit;
(12) Federal taxpayer identification or social security number of the operator;
(13) Satisfactory proof of insurance as provided in Section 14-13-8 of this article for each driver and vehicle to be operated in the city under the permit;
(14) Satisfactory evidence that the operator has complied and currently complies with the provisions of California Government Code Section 53075.5(b)(3), or any successor provision, pertaining to pre-employment and periodic testing of drivers for controlled substances and alcohol, and with provisions pertaining to payment for drug and alcohol testing programs and related reporting requirements. The operator must also provide satisfactory evidence from a city-approved lab that each driver who will operate a taxicab or vehicle for hire within the city has tested negative for drugs and alcohol as required by Section 53075.5;
(15) Unless otherwise provided by law, evidence that the operator has procured worker’s compensation insurance covering all drivers to be employed by the operator;
(16) Submission of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) pull notice program requestor code number, as defined in Vehicle Code Section 1808.1, issued to the operator. As a condition of accepting an operator’s permit, the operator is required to notify the city immediately if it receives a DMV pull notice on one of its drivers that would affect that person’s driver’s permit. In the event a driver’s DMV record indicates that a driver no longer qualifies for a driver’s permit, the operator must require the driver to surrender the driver’s permit to the chief of police. DMV pull notice records must be made available for review by the city upon request;
(17) Submission of records of any convictions in any court of any state of the United States or in any United States court with respect to any operator or driver identified in the operator’s permit application; including any such convictions following a plea of no contest or nolo contendere. City council specifically authorizes the chief of police or designee to receive state and local summary criminal history information in fulfilling his licensing duties under this article; and
(18) Satisfactory proof that the business will be operated in compliance with all provisions of this article.
(b) An operator’s permit shall be granted unless:
(1) The operator fails to submit a complete application;
(2) The operator makes any omission, untrue statement or material misrepresentation in the application or provides fraudulent documentation with the application;
(3) The operator has violated this article within the last three years;
(4) The public convenience is not served;
(5) The operator is not morally or financially responsible;
(6) Any vehicle proposed to be operated lacks the required equipment, is improperly licensed or is unsafe;
(7) There is an absence of satisfactory proof that the taxicab or vehicle for hire operator will comply with the provisions of this article;
(8) Additional taxicab or vehicle for hire service will have a detrimental effect on traffic and parking within the city or will otherwise be contrary to the public welfare;
(9) The operator has been convicted of any violent felony offense or sex-related offense within the preceding five years or any other felony offense or any misdemeanor offense involving sexual assault of any kind, violent behavior, moral turpitude, theft or fraud within the preceding three years, including any such convictions following a plea of no contest or nolo contendere, taking into consideration the nature of the conviction, the age of the operator at the time of the conviction, any evidence of rehabilitation and the relationship of the conviction to the propriety of the operator operating a taxicab or vehicle for hire; or
(10) The operator has not otherwise complied with this article.
(c) The issuance of an operator’s permit is conditional upon such owner ensuring that each taxicab or vehicle for hire operated by such operator has a vehicle permit issued by the city and each driver of such taxicab or vehicle for hire has a driver’s permit issued by the city. The operator shall notify the city immediately upon termination of employment of an employee hired to operate a taxicab or vehicle for hire in the city. (Ord. No. 1399, § 3 (part).)