(a) The City and its permitting agent shall have authority to implement and enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(b) The City and/or its permitting agent may conduct an inspection of a business prior to issuing a permit. The City and/or its permitting agent may annually inspect each business holding a permit upon proper identification and upon stating the purpose and necessity of an inspection. The City and/or its permitting agent may enter at reasonable times to inspect or investigate and examine or copy records to determine compliance with this chapter. The City and/or its permitting agent may apply for and any judge of a court of record may issue an appropriate search warrant necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter within the court's territorial jurisdiction. If entry is refused or inspection or investigation is refused, hindered, or thwarted, the City and/or its permitting agent may suspend or revoke the permit as set forth herein.
(c) In addition to the denial, suspension, or revocation of a permit, the City and/ or its permitting agent may impose the following civil penalties for violations of this chapter:
(1) For a first violation, written warnings shall be provided to violators;
(2) For a second violation, two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00);
(3) For third violation within five years of the first violation, five hundred dollars ($500.00);
(4) For a fourth violation within five years of the first violation, one thousand dollars ($1,000);
(5) For a fifth violation within five years of the first violation, administrative permit review to determine if the permit should be suspended or revoked.
(d) When the City and/or its permitting agent determines to issue a civil penalty for a violation, to deny a permit application, or to suspend or revoke a permit, the City and/or permitting agent shall notify permittee of said determination by sending written notice of said determination by U.S. first-class mail to the address provided on the permit application.
(e) The City and/or its permitting agent shall not be required to conduct an evidentiary hearing prior to issuing a determination provided for in division (d) of this section.
(f) The permittee may file a written notice of appeal with the City Director of Law within 14 calendar days after the date the determination was mailed. The process to request said appeal shall be provided in the notice of the determination set forth in division (d) of this section. The determination shall take effect following the expiration of time to file the notice of appeal.
(g) An appeal hearing shall be heard by the License Appeals Board which shall follow the relevant hearings procedures set forth in Chapter 767 of the Codified Ordinances. The burden of proof by preponderance of the evidence shall be upon the City and/or its permitting agent. The Nuisance Abatement Board of Review shall be the final, administrative decision maker.
(Ord. 11122-2019. Passed 10-15-19.)