(A) (1) The City Council hereby declares that it possesses a duty to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the city.
(2) It also declares that it holds a duty to encourage, protect, and foster an individual’s right to free enterprise and business within the municipal boundaries of the city.
(3) The City Council further finds that these two duties conflict when balancing the need to protect its residents and allowing persons convicted of crimes involving dishonesty or convicted of crimes involving abuse, injury, or harm to a person to own or operate a business within the city.
(4) (a) A CRIMINAL CONVICTION is the final entry of conviction, whether by plea of no contest, guilty, or entry of a judicial or jury finding of guilt which has not been set aside on appeal or pursuant to a writ of habeas corpus.
(b) A CRIMINAL CONVICTION means the offense of which the person was convicted, without regard to the reduced status of the charge after completion of conditions of probation or parole, and charges dismissed under a plea in abeyance or diversion agreement.
(B) (1) The City Council acknowledges that a person convicted of or a crime injuring or harming another has the right, after satisfying the convictions or judgments against him, her, or them, to conduct his, her, or their life with the understanding and belief that his, her, or their debt has been paid.
(2) However, the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of the city demand a balance between a person’s right to do business when convicted of crimes involving dishonesty or crimes involving abuse, injury, or harm to a person and the safety of the city’s residents.
(3) Therefore, it shall be unlawful for a person convicted of a felony less than ten years prior to the date of application for a business license to obtain a business license in the city.
(Ord. 2016-002, passed 11-16-2016) Penalty, see § 110.99