(1) Before any person, firm or corporation shall conduct a taxi business in the City of Cookeville, he or she shall file with the Cookeville Police Department an application for a permit to conduct such business in the city. Applicants and all partners shall also meet the driver’s permit qualifications outlined in § 9-411. The application shall include the business name, address and phone number; applicant name, home address and
phone number; whether the applicant is an individual, firm, or corporation, and if a firm, the name, home address and phone number of each member thereof. The applicant will also be responsible for any other fees that are associated with the application or background investigation process. The application shall also include the following: the make, model, vehicle identification number (VIN), and license number of all vehicles proposed to be used in the business; the color scheme or insignia to be used to designate the vehicle or vehicles; experience of the applicant in the transportation of passengers; certification of the mechanical reliability and cleanliness of the vehicles by a Cookeville Police Department approved inspector; certification of liability insurance; and such other pertinent information as may be required on said form, which application shall be sworn to by the applicant and notarized.
(2) All permits for conducting of a taxi business shall be issued and signed by the Cookeville Police Department. No taxi permits shall be issued for a longer period than one (1) calendar year. The Cookeville Police Department may issue a permit for a shorter or probationary period if, in its discretion, it deems proper and such permit is subject to cancellation at any time by the Cookeville Police Department. Permits issued under this section are nontransferable.
(3) All permits heretofore issued shall expire on the 31 st day of December; and, in order to obtain a renewal taxi permit by the 31st day of December, the applicant must file a renewal application on or before December 1st each year. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all fees have been paid and all vehicles have been inspected prior to December 31st of each year so that the application for renewal can be acted upon by the Cookeville Police Department. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section shall result in immediate suspension of all permits held by the taxi owner.
(4) No permits, initial or renewal, for a taxi business shall be issued unless a current business license has been obtained from the City of Cookeville. Any taxi business that conducts regular business within the Cookeville city limits must have their office located within the Cookeville city limits and that office must be located in an area zoned for a taxi business.
(5) Every taxi permitted under this chapter shall post the taxi permit in such a place in each taxi as to be in full view of all passengers while such taxi is in operation.
(6) The City of Cookeville Police Department shall have authority to issue administrative regulations that are not in conflict with this chapter governing the use and operation of taxis. Provided, however, that any owner of a taxi business, as of the effective date of this chapter, that does not meet the requirement of § 9-411 (4) may continue to be an owner unless (1) the owner is convicted of a felony; pleads guilty to a felony; or pleads “no contest” [nolo contendere] to a felony; or (2) ceases to be an owner. In the event of (1) the owner immediately forfeits the permit. In the event of (2) the owner must meet all criteria set forth in § 9-411 to obtain a new permit to be an owner. Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to permit an owner under this exception to be a driver. (Ord. #000-02-03, Feb. 2000 as renumbered and replaced by Ord. #011-03-03, April 2011)