(A) Period of Certification. Certification for all categories of LBE shall be effective for a three year period provided that (1) businesses must at all times throughout the certification period meet the criteria in Section 14B.3 as applicable; and (2) the Director may, in the Director’s discretion, certify a business for a shorter period based on the unique attributes of any applicant or renewal applicant that relate to such business’s eligibility or continued eligibility for certification. The Director may require certified businesses annually to submit copies of their federal income tax returns and other documentation for the purpose of verifying continuing eligibility for any certification status hereunder. The Director may suspend or revoke the certification of any LBE that fails to submit requested tax returns or other documentation in a timely fashion or otherwise fails to cooperate with the Director in any investigation of that business’s continued eligibility for certification.
(B) Certification or Re-Certification Denial. Whenever the Director determines that an applicant or a certified business whose certification period is expiring (renewal applicant) is not eligible for any requested certification, the Director shall notify the applicant or renewal applicant in writing of the basis for such decision, and the date on which the business will be eligible to reapply for the same certification; provided, however, that in all cases, the applicant or renewal applicant has the right to notice of the Director's determination and a full and adequate opportunity to be heard before the Director's decision is final. The Director shall require a business to wait at least six months but not more than two years after the denial before reapplying for certification in the same category.
(C) Appeals. Applicants and renewal applicants may appeal a Director's denial or refusal to renew certification, or length of waiting period for reapplication imposed hereunder to the City Administrator, or Hearing Officer appointed by the City Administrator, for a de novo determination of the matter appealed. After affording the applicant a full and adequate opportunity to be heard, the City Administrator's or Hearing Officer's decision shall be the City's final administrative decision on the matter. Unless the City Administrator or Hearing Officer issues an order to the contrary, the Director's determination shall not be stayed during the appeal process.