A. After considering all of the testimony and evidence submitted at the hearing, the hearing officer shall issue a written decision to uphold, reduce or cancel the administrative citation and shall list in the decision the reasons for that decision. The decision of the hearing officer shall be final.

B. If the hearing officer determines that the administrative citation should be upheld, then the fine amount on deposit with the City shall be retained by the City.

C. If the hearing officer determines that the administrative citation should be upheld and the fine has not been deposited pursuant to an advance deposit hardship waiver, the hearing officer shall set forth in the decision a payment schedule for the fine.

D. If the hearing officer determines that the administrative citation should be canceled or reduced and the fine was deposited with the City, then the City shall promptly refund the amount of the deposited fine or the amount paid in excess of the reduced fine, together with interest at the average rate earned on the City’s portfolio for the period of time that the fine or excess fine amount was held by the City.

E. The recipient of the administrative citation shall be served with a copy of the hearing officer’s written decision.

F. The employment, performance evaluation, compensation and benefits of the hearing officer shall not be directly or indirectly conditioned upon the amount or number of administrative citation fines upheld by the hearing officer. (Ord. 6710-NS § 2, 2002)