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Greenville County, SC Code of Ordinances
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§ 21-7 ADMINISTRATION OF ARTICLE.
   The Department of General Services shall administer the provisions of this article through the registration, initiation of denial and revocation procedures, reporting of violations to the Sheriffs or Codes Enforcement Offices and assistance in prosecution of violators.
(Ord. 4277, § 7, passed 4-21-2009)
§ 21-8 DENIAL AND REVOCATION.
   The Department of General Services shall have authority to deny or revoke any business registration under the provisions set forth in this section.
   A registration application may be denied, or an issued registration may be suspended or revoked, upon any of the following grounds:
   (1)   The registrant’s operation of the business constitutes a public nuisance, provided the determination of the public nuisance arises from 1 or more of the following activities on the premises or in the immediate vicinity thereof and the registrant has actual or constructive knowledge of the activities:
      a.   Frequent arrests of persons for crimes of violence, possession or sale or controlled substances, possession or sale of deadly weapons, the discharge of firearms, excessive noise, disorderly conduct, prostitution, disturbance of the peace, and the illegal acts correspond with or relate to the hours of operation of the business operations of this registrant;
      b.   Law enforcement agencies make an unusually high number of response calls, regardless of arrests, to the business premises, or to the immediate vicinity, and the high number of response calls corresponds with or relates to the hours of business operations of the registrant;
      c.   There are ongoing and significant deposits of litter and debris in the immediate vicinity, whether the persons making the deposits can be identified or not, when the litter and debris relate to the business operations of the registrant; and
      d.   Material violations of property maintenance codes, environmental codes, fire code, and/or building codes where violations are applicable to the business premises.
   (2)   Failure to provide sufficient security measures to protect people and property located on the premises, and to protect people and property located in the immediate vicinity when the immediate vicinity is affected by the business operations of the registrant;
   (3)   The provision of materially false and inaccurate statements in the business registration application or to a County official at the time of application;
   (4)   Failure to pay taxes or fees applicable to the premises or business operations when due, including but not limited to personal and real property taxes, hospitality taxes, accommodation fees and accommodation taxes, property assessments, sewer fees, stormwater fees, and false alarm fees;
   (5)   Failure of an applicant or registrant to show current compliance with applicable state laws related to the operation of business activities;
   (6)   Failure to provide full payment to the County within 10 days of notice of a check returned to the County for insufficient funds. Full payment means the full amount due of the original check plus costs and fees assessed to the County by its bank for the return of the check presented, as well as any return check fee otherwise assessed by the County;
   (7)   Failure to provide substantiation, when asked by the County, that the actual business use of the location for which a business registration has been applied for or granted, complies with what is allowed at the location under the County’s zoning ordinance. Nothing in this provision shall be interpreted to abrogate or limit any variances, special exceptions, or lawful nonconforming uses, previously established under the County’s zoning ordinance. In the case of amortization of signs, structures, and uses, the business owner must demonstrate that the amortization period has not expired. In instances requiring an interpretation of the zoning administrator, such interpretations may be rendered in accordance with the duties assigned to the zoning administrator under the zoning ordinance;
   (8)   An applicant or registrant whose employer’s license is suspended or revoked for violating the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act shall have his business registration suspended or revoked by the County. Such suspension or revocation by the County shall run concurrently with the penalty imposed by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Registration.
(Ord. 4277, § 8, passed 4-21-2009)
§ 21-9 NOTICE, APPEALS AND RE-APPLICATIONS.
   Where grounds exist to deny or revoke a registration under the provisions of this article, the Department of General Services shall provide written notice to the applicant or registrant setting forth the grounds revoking the license effective 10 days from the date of the notice, and advising of the appeals process.
   Any person aggrieved by a denial or revocation of a business registration may appeal the decision to the County Administrator (or his designee) within 10 days after notice of the denial or revocation. A written notice of appeal must be accompanied with a $25 fee that will be used to partially defray the costs incurred in connection with the administration of appeals. The fee will be refunded in the event of final resolution of the appeal in favor of the appellant. An appeal shall stay the revocation until the administrator or his designee renders a final decision.
   The administrator or his designee shall hold a hearing within 15 days of the request and render a written decision based upon the findings of fact and the application of standards herein. The decision of the administrator or his designee shall be final unless appealed to a court of competent jurisdiction within 10 days after notice of the decision. An appeal from the final decision shall not stay revocation of the registration.
   For a period of 1 year after the revocation or denial of a business registration, no new registration shall be granted to the same registrant or to the registrant’s agent or any person who can be shown to acting on the registrant’s behalf in attempting to register the business with the County.
(Ord. 4277, § 9, passed 4-21-2009)
§ 21-10 CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION.
   All information furnished or secured under the authority of this article by the Department of General Services shall be used for public safety purposes. Social security and/or federal employer identification numbers shall not be released to the general public; however, address and contact information supplied by a business is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, being S.C. Code, Title 30, Ch. 4, and may be open to public inspection.
(Ord. 4277, § 10, passed 4-21-2009)
§ 21-11 PENALTIES.
   Any person, firm, corporation or agent who shall violate the provisions of this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $200 for a first offense violation. Any person, firm, corporation or agent committing a second or subsequent violation shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable within the jurisdictional limits of magistrate’s court. Each such person, firm, corporation or agent shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this article is committed or continued. In addition, the County may take action as allowed by law to prevent the business from operating until such time that the business registers with the County.
(Ord. 4277, § 11, passed 4-21-2009)
§§ 21-12—21-20 RESERVED.