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The fee for certification as a Chicago Green Business shall be $100.00. Such certification shall be valid for a period of twelve months from the date of its issuance, as indicated on the face of the CGB logo issued by the department. A CGB certification shall not be transferable from one legal entity or place of business to another legal entity or place of business.
(Added Coun. J. 4-13-11, p. 115934, § 2)
(A) It shall be unlawful for any legal entity to use or post a Chicago Green Business logo at any place of business under such legal entity's ownership or control unless such place of business is in full compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(B) It shall be unlawful for any legal entity to advertise, market, characterize or otherwise hold out its place of business as a Chicago Green Business unless such place of business is in full compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(C) It shall be unlawful for any legal entity certified as a CGB to fail to comply with any reasonable request made by the department in connection with any audit that may be conducted by the department to determine compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(D) It shall be unlawful for any legal entity certified as a CGB to fail to comply with any reasonable request made by any authorized city official in connection with any inspection that may be conducted by such authorized city official to determine compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(E) It shall be unlawful for any legal entity to make any material omission or misleading or false statement of material fact in connection with any application submitted under Section 11-6-040 for certification as a Chicago Green Business.
(F) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who violates any requirement of this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $250.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense to which a separate fine shall apply.
(Added Coun. J. 4-13-11, p. 115934, § 2)
Certification of a place of business as a Chicago Green Business shall not be construed as an endorsement by the City of such place of business. Nor shall such certification be construed to confer on such place of business any legal right or privilege not explicitly provided for in this chapter.
(Added Coun. J. 4-13-11, p. 115934, § 2)
(A) Following notice and the opportunity for a hearing before the commissioner, the commissioner may revoke a place of business's certification as a Chicago Green Business if the commissioner determines that (1) such place of business is not properly licensed or has otherwise failed to maintain its eligibility for certification as a Chicago Green Business as required under subsection (C) of Section 11-6-040; or (2) such place of business has failed any audit conducted by the department to determine compliance with the requirements of this chapter; or (3) such place of business or controlling person thereof has been found liable in the department of administrative hearings for any violation of Section 11-6-130. The commissioner's revocation decision shall be final and may be appealed in the manner provided by law.
(B) No place of business whose CGB certification under this chapter is revoked for any cause shall be granted another CGB certification under this chapter for a period of three years from the date of such revocation.
(Added Coun. J. 4-13-11, p. 115934, § 2)
The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to (1) add minimum requirements to, delete minimum requirements from, or otherwise modify the list of minimum requirements set forth in Section 11-6-060, Section 11-6-070 or Section 11-6-080; and (2) increase or decrease the number of minimum requirements, as set forth in Section 11-6-060, Section 11-6-070 and/or Section 11-6-080, that a legal entity is required to implement at a place of business in order to be certified as a Chicago Green Business; and (3) develop additional or supplemental minimum requirements that must be met by particular types of businesses seeking CGB certification under this chapter, including, but not limited to, restaurants, automobile repair shops, office and retail establishments, hotels, contractors and landscapers. Provided, however, that such duly promulgated rules and regulations shall not apply to any business currently certified as a CGB until such time that such business renews its CGB certification.
(Added Coun. J. 4-13-11, p. 115934, § 2)
(A) Rules and regulations – Authorized. In addition to the rules and regulations authorized under Section 11-6-160, the commissioner is authorized to promulgate any other rules and regulations necessary to implement the requirements of this chapter.
(B) Green business logo – Required. The commissioner shall create a Chicago Green Business Logo for use by certified Chicago Green Businesses.
(C) CGB website – Authorized. The commissioner is authorized to create a website to support the Chicago Green Business Program.
(D) Auditing – Authorized. The commissioner is authorized to audit on a random or complaint-driven basis, or based on objective criteria set forth in the CGB rules, any place of business certified as a Chicago Green Business for the purpose of determining whether such place of business in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(E) Inspections – Authorized. The commissioner, the head of any city department authorized to inspect a place of business for the purpose of determining compliance with the requirements of this Code and their respective designees are authorized to inspect any place of business certified as a Chicago Green Business for the purpose of determining whether such place of business is in compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(F) List of certified Chicago Green Businesses – Required. The commissioner shall maintain a current list of all businesses that have been certified as a Chicago Green Business. At least once every four months, the commissioner shall post a current copy of such list on the City of Chicago website.
(G) Annual report – Required. A joint committee of the Committee on Finance, Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, and Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy, or their applicable successor committees, shall be convened annually for the purpose of receiving a report from the commissioner about the Chicago Green Business Program. The commissioner shall appear before such joint committee to: (1) present such report; (2) answer questions about the CGB Program; (3) describe the local business outreach program required under subsection (G) of this section; (4) describe any incentives for participation in the CGB Program developed pursuant to subsection (H) of this section; and (5) provide the joint committee with a current list of all businesses certified as a Chicago Green Business.
(H) Outreach to local businesses – Required. The commissioner shall work together with the department of business affairs and consumer protection to develop a business outreach program to inform all businesses licensed by the City of Chicago about the Chicago Green Business Program, including information about how to become certified as a Chicago Green Business.
(I) Interdepartmental collaboration to develop CGB Program incentives – Required. The department of procurement services, the department of planning and development, the department of business affairs and consumer protection and the office of budget and management shall collaborate on a regular basis, by meeting at least twice a year, to develop and implement operational, financial and other incentives to encourage participation by local businesses in the Chicago Green Business Program.
(J) Limitation on the issuance of CGB certifications – Authorized. The commissioner is authorized to limit the number of CGB certifications issued by the department in any given year based on the availability of department resources and in accordance with objective criteria set forth in the CGB rules.
(Added Coun. J. 4-13-11, p. 115934, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-11, p. 13798, Art. II, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 11-26-13, p. 67481, Art. I, § 23; Amend Coun. J. 11-20-19, p. 9510, Art. II, § 12)