(A) The City Council shall not unreasonably deny or withhold any wholesale or retail merchandising license when properly applied for, but may deny or defer granting the license if it finds that:
(1) The persons proposing to own or operate the business are not of good and lawful reputation, or that further investigation is warranted;
(2) The nature or location of the proposed business is such that its conduct would create undue and unreasonable disturbance, congestion of traffic, devaluation of surrounding property, or other substantive public hazard or nuisance as commonly defined in law; or
(3) The nature or location of the proposed business is such as to be in nonconformance with other applicable laws, ordinances, and regulations, or that any other required licenses or permits have not been properly obtained or applied for.
(B) However, if the City Council proposes to deny or defer a license, it shall notify the applicant and afford the applicant a reasonable opportunity to appear before the Council at a public meeting to rebut any adverse findings or make the further covenants, agreements, or stipulations as may be required, before final action is taken.
(1985 Code, § 3-4-3) (Ord. 1-1947, passed 6-10-1947; Ord. 6A-1984, passed - -1984)