(A) The City Clerk shall review the permit application for compliance with this section and recommendation of the Chief of Police to determine if a license should issue. The Clerk shall take into consideration:
(1) Whether issuance is consistent with the safety, health, welfare, comfort and convenience of its residents.
(2) The character and reputation, as law abiding citizens, of the applicant or its members, officers or directors.
(3) The financial ability of the applicant to render lawful, safe, suitable and comfortable service and to maintain or replace the equipment for such service.
(4) The financial ability of the applicant to pay all judgments and awards as may be rendered for any cause arising out of the operation of the vehicle.
(B) A permit application may be denied for the following reasons:
(1) The motor vehicles listed on the applications failed equipment qualifications;
(2) Insignia are similar to existing taxicabs so as to cause confusion to the riding public;
(3) A history of the applicant showing disregard for the safety of the riding public;
(4) Revocation or suspension of a similar license by the city or other municipality;
(5) The applicant having shown a lack of law abiding character and has been convicted of a crime or crimes and specifically those involving assault or injuries to persons and felonies or forcible felonies;
(6) Giving incomplete, false, or misleading information on the application;
(7) Lack of financial ability as set forth above.
(C) If the Clerk finds the applicant is otherwise qualified under division (A), the Clerk shall forward the application information to the Police Department for review, and upon Police Department approval, the Clerk shall issue a permit to the applicant, including:
(1) The name and address of the applicant;
(2) The description of the vehicle(s) authorized to operate within the city pursuant to said business license;
(3) The vehicle identification number and license plate number of the vehicle(s);
(4) The vehicle inspection date from an ASE Certified Technician; and
(5) The date of issuance of business license.
(D) Each vehicle for hire that is in service must be registered with the city. The operator shall notify the Council when a permitted vehicle for hire is withdrawn from service and when additional vehicles for hire are put into service. It is unlawful and a violation of this chapter for a permitted vehicle for hire business to allow any individual who does not comply with all requirements of § 114.19 of this chapter to operate any vehicle covered by a vehicle for hire permit issued pursuant to this chapter. See Iowa Code § 321.241(1).
(E) Permit renewal. Upon expiration of a current permit, each applicant must reapply for a vehicle for hire business permit subject to the provisions of this chapter. An owner or operator must submit its renewal application and supporting documentation within the 30-day period prior to the expiration of the permit, which shall be December 31 of each calendar year pursuant to § 114.10 of this chapter. To apply for renewal of a permit issued under this chapter, the owner or operator must provide the Clerk with the application materials required of non-renewal applicants, which are set forth in § 114.03 of this chapter. Renewal applicants must also submit payment of the fees set forth in § 114.04 with their renewal application materials.
(F) Issuance of renewal permits. Vehicle for hire business permits shall be issued between January 1 and January 31 of each year and shall be valid for the remainder of the calendar year for which the application was submitted. A vehicle for hire business shall not be considered to be operating without a permit for a period of 30 days following the permit expiration date, so long as all permit renewal documentation required by division (E) above has been submitted to the Clerk for processing. A permit, when issued, shall be signed by the Mayor and Clerk, shall identify the vehicles permitted, and shall state the date of issuance, the operator to whom issued, and the period of time for which the permit is valid. The city will provide a sticker or other adhesive emblem for each vehicle for hire covered by the permit issued. This sticker shall be displayed in the bottom corner of the rear windshield at all times while the vehicle is operating under the permit. Removal of this sticker or applying a sticker that does not correspond to the vehicle for which the sticker was issued is a violation of this section.
(G) Incomplete applications and renewal applications. Any permit application or renewal application that does not contain all items required by division (E) above shall be deemed incomplete and will not be processed by the Clerk until such time as all necessary documentation has been provided. The Clerk shall provide the renewal applicant with notice of any deficiency in its application materials within three business days of discovery of such deficiency so that the issue may be remedied by the applicant.
(Ord. 2433, passed 11-9-2010; Ord. 2528, passed 10-13-2015; Ord. 2561, passed 1-9-2018) Penalty, see § 114.99