(A) Prior to the issuance of any license as a building contractor, electrical contractor, HVAC contractor, or subcontractor in each of these fields, the city shall require the performance of a limited criminal background check for each applicant.
(B) The applicant shall be charged a non-refundable fee of $20. This fee shall be paid to the Inspections Department who will perform the limited criminal background check upon the applicant by requesting one from the Law Department.
(C) A limited criminal background check provided by another Lake County Police Department may, in the alternative, be submitted by the applicant, provided it is a certified and authenticated copy of no less than 12 months in age.
(D) An applicant with a criminal background check revealing a conviction for a crime or crimes involving theft, fraud, dishonesty, misrepresentation, deceit, violence against another person and sexual offenses may not be licensed as a contractor or subcontractor in the city at the discretion of the Building Contractors Board. Any applicant who provides false information during the application process shall be denied a license.
(E) An applicant who believes that a conviction or information appearing on the limited criminal background check is erroneous and that results in the denial of a license, may appeal the denial of the license to the Hammond Board of Public Works and Safety, provided the appeal is requested from that Board, in writing, within 10 days of the denial of the contractors or subcontractor’s license. The Board of Public Works and Safety shall have the power to grant or deny the appeal. The decision of the Board of Public Works and Safety may be appealed by the applicant to the Lake Superior or Circuit Court within 10 days of the decision.
(Ord. 9210, passed 5-13-2013; Am. Ord. 9446, passed 9-23-2019)