A. Any person desiring to obtain a permit, or renew an existing permit, to operate an escort bureau or introductory service, shall make application to the Chief of Police or his designated representative. Prior to submitting such application for a permit or renewal of a permit, a nonrefundable fee, as established by resolution of the City Council, shall be paid to the Department of Finance to defray, in part, the cost of the investigation and report required by this chapter. The Department of Finance shall issue a receipt showing that such application or renewal fee has been paid. The receipt, or a copy thereof, shall be supplied to the Chief of Police at the time such application is filed. Permit issuance or renewal fees required under this chapter shall be in addition to any license, permit or fee required under any other chapter of this code.
B. Neither the filing of an application for a permit or renewal thereof, nor payment of an application or renewal fee, shall authorize the conducting of an escort bureau or introductory service until such permit has been granted or renewed.
C. Each applicant for an escort bureau or introductory service permit, or renewal thereof, shall furnish the following information:
1. The present or proposed address where the business is to be conducted;
2. The full true name under which the business will be conducted;
3. The full true name and any other names used by the applicant;
4. The present residence and business addresses and telephone numbers of the applicant;
5. Each residence and business address of the applicant for the five-year period immediately preceding the date of filing of the application and the inclusive dates of each such address;
6. California driver's license or identification number and social security number of the applicant;
7. Acceptable written proof that the applicant is at least eighteen years of age;
8. The applicant's height, weight, color of eyes and hair and date of birth;
9. Two photographs of the applicant, at least two inches by two inches in size, taken within the six-month period immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application;
10. The business, occupation or employment history of the applicant for the three-year period immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application;
11. The permit history of the applicant, for the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application, including whether such applicant, in previously operating in this or any other city, county, state, or territory, has ever had any similar license or permit issued by such agency revoked or suspended, or has had any professional or vocational license or permit revoked or suspended, and the reason or reasons therefor;
12. All criminal convictions suffered by the applicant, including ordinance violations but excepting minor traffic offenses (any traffic offense designated as a felony shall not be construed as a minor traffic offense), stating the date, place, nature and sentence of each such conviction;
13. If the applicant is a corporation, the name of the corporation shall be set forth exactly as shown in its articles of incorporation or charter, together with the state and date of incorporation, and the names, residence addresses, and dates of birth of each of its current officers and directors, and each stockholder holding more than five percent of the stock in the corporation. If the applicant is a partnership, the applicant shall set forth the names, residence addresses and dates of birth of each of the partners, including limited partners and profit interest holders. If the applicant is a limited partnership, the applicant shall furnish a copy of the certificate of limited partnership as filed with the County Clerk. If one or more of the partners is a corporation, the provisions of this subsection pertaining to corporations shall apply. The corporation or partnership applicant shall designate one of its officers or general partners to act as its responsible managing officer. Such designated person shall complete and sign all application forms required of an individual applicant under this chapter, but only one application fee shall be charged;
14. In the event the applicant is not the owner of record of the real property upon which the escort bureau or introductory service is or is to be located, the application must be accompanied by a notarized statement from the owner of record of the property acknowledging that an escort bureau or introductory service is or will be located on the property. In addition to furnishing such notarized statement, the applicant shall furnish the name and address of the owner of record of the property, as well as a copy of the lease or rental agreement pertaining to the premises in which the escort bureau or introductory service is or will be located;
15. A full and detailed definition of the service to be provided;
16. The true names and residential addresses of all persons employed or intended to be employed as escorts;
17. Such other identification and/or information as the Chief of Police may require in order to discover the truth of the matters required to be set forth in the application.
D. The applicant, if a natural person, or a designated responsible managing officer, if the applicant is a partnership or corporation, shall personally appear at the Police Department of the City and produce proof that the required application containing the information and supporting documentation required by subsection C of this section.
E. The Chief of Police may require the applicant, if a natural person, or the designated responsible managing officer, if the applicant is a partnership or corporation, to appear in person at the Police Department in order to be photographed and fingerprinted.
F. When any change occurs regarding the written information required by subsection C of this section to be included in the application, the applicant or permit holder, as the case may be, shall give written notification of such change to the Chief of Police within twenty-four hours after such change.
G. The Chief of Police shall have a reasonable period of time in which to investigate the application and background of the applicant.
H. The Chief of Police, within ninety days after receiving the application, shall grant the permit, or renewal thereof, only if he finds that all of the following requirements have been met:
1. The required fees have been paid;
2. The application conforms in all respects to the provisions of this chapter;
3. he applicant has not knowingly made a material misrepresentation of fact in the application;
4. The applicant has fully cooperated in the investigation of the application;
5. The applicant if an individual; or any of the directors, officers, or stockholders holding more than five percent of the stock of the corporation; or any of the partners, including limited partners, the holder of any lien of any other person principally in charge of the operation of the existing or proposed escort bureau or introductory service, or a natural person employed or contracted with to be an escort or to provide escort services; has not been convicted or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty of a misdemeanor or felony crime of moral turpitude or a misdemeanor or felony crime involving sexual misconduct including, but not limited to, all offenses listed in Penal Code Section 290, Penal Code Sections 311.2 through 311.7, Penal Code Sections 314 through 318, and subsections (a), (b), (c), (d) or (h) of Section 647 of the Penal Code, or any offenses involving pimping, pandering, prostitution or lewd conduct; or has permitted, through an act of omission or commission, his or her employee or agent to engage in any type of moral turpitude or sexual misconduct offense, whether misdemeanor or felony (under such circumstances, the conduct of the employee or agent, if such resulted in a conviction or a plea of nolo contendere or guilty, will be considered imputed to the principal and shall be grounds for permit denial);
6. The applicant has not had an escort bureau, introductory service or escort permit or other similar license or permit denied or suspended or revoked for cause by the City or any other city or county located in or out of this State within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the filing of the application;
7. The escort bureau or introductory service, as proposed by the applicant, would comply with all applicable City, County and State laws, including but not limited to health, zoning, fire and safety requirements and standards; and
8. The applicant, manager or other person principally in charge of the operation of the business is at least eighteen years of age.
I. If the Chief of Police does not find that all of the requirements set forth in subsections (H)(1) through (8) of this section have been met, he shall deny application for the permit or renewal thereof. In the event the application for the permit or renewal thereof is denied by the Chief of Police, written notice of such denial shall be given to the applicant, specifying the ground or grounds of such denial. Notice of denial of the application for the permit, or renewal thereof, shall be deemed to have been served if it in fact is personally served on the applicant or when deposited in the United States mail with postage prepaid and addressed to the applicant at the residence address set forth in the application for the permit or renewal thereof. Any applicant whose application for an escort bureau or introductory service permit, or renewal thereof, has been denied by the Chief of Police, may appeal such denial to the City Manager within twenty days of such denial. (Ord. 2456 § 1 (part), 1983).