(A) Purpose. The purpose and intent of this section is to establish regulations to allow law enforcement access to Minnesota's computerized criminal history information for a specified non-criminal purposes of licensing background checks.
(B) Criminal history license background investigations. The City Police Department is hereby required, as the exclusive entity within the city, to do a criminal history background investigation on the applicants for the following licenses within the city:
(1) Liquor licenses, tobacco licenses, peddler's licenses and any other licenses as may be designated by resolution by the city council from time to time.
(2) In conducting the criminal history background investigation in order to screen licensed applicants, the Police Department is authorized to access data maintained in the Minnesota Criminal Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Computerized Criminal History Information System in accordance with Bureau of Criminal Apprehension policy. Any data that is accessed and acquired shall be maintained at the Police Department under the care and custody of the chief law enforcement official or his or her designee. The summary of the results of the computerized criminal history data may be released by the Police Department to the licensing authority, including the city council, the City Manager, the City Clerk or other city staff involved in the license approval process.
(3) Before the investigation is undertaken, the applicant must authorize the Police Department by written consent to undertake the investigation. The written consent must fully comply with the provisions of M.S. Chapter 13, at it may be amended from time to time, regarding the collection, maintenance and use of the information. Except for the positions set forth in M.S. § 364.09, as it may be amended from time to time, the city will not reject an applicant for a license on the basis of the applicant's prior conviction, unless the crime is directly related to the license sought and the conviction is for a felony, gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor with a jail sentence. If the city rejects the applicant's request on this basis, the city shall notify the applicant in writing of the following:
(a) The grounds and reasons for the denial.
(b) The applicant complaint and grievance procedure set forth in M.S. § 364.06, as it may be amended from time to time.
(c) The earliest date the applicant may reapply for the license.
(d) That all competent evidence of rehabilitation will be considered upon reapplication.
(Ord. 165, passed 12-2-2013) Penalty, see 10.99