9.52.020 Annual permits required for business owners, drivers, and vehicles--Fees, expiration and limitation on number of permits.
A. Annual Permits--Approval Required. No person, corporation, partnership, cooperative, business, fictitious name, or dispatch center shall engage in the business of operating any taxicab or vehicle for hire within the City without a taxicab business owner’s permit, driver’s permit and vehicle permit issued by the City. Such permits shall not be issued until both the owner and driver have completed the Taxi Owner Driver Training. Except as authorized by Sections 9.52.030 and 9.52.040, such permit shall not be assigned, sold or transferred to another business owner, driver or vehicle.
B. Permit Fees. The City Council shall set by resolution the fees required for obtaining business owner’s, driver’s and vehicle permits.
C. Annual Application, Renewal and Expiration. New applications may be submitted any time during the current year. Renewal applications shall be submitted by December 31st of the current year. All permits shall expire on January 31st of the following year. Permits may be renewed annually by application to the City. Current permit holders have priority for annual renewal. Applications to renew permits shall be treated in the same manner as applications for new permits. Nothing in this chapter creates any property interest in issuance or renewal of a permit.
D. Notice of Change of Address. Every person holding a permit issued under this chapter shall at all times keep the City notified of their current address. They shall notify the City in writing within ten days of any address change.
E. Limitations on Number of Permits Per Owner and in the City--Waiting List, Renewal.
1. The City Council may by resolution define various categories of vehicles for hire, set the maximum number of vehicles in each category that may be operated in the City and the maximum number of vehicles for hire in each category for which each business owner may seek vehicle permits. The waiting list shall be updated no less frequently than every six months.
2. Should the maximum number of any category of taxicabs in the City be reached in any given year, the City shall create a waiting list for vehicles which shall receive permits when existing permits are revoked for any reason. Existing permit holders have priority in renewal and vehicles on the waiting list shall receive annual permits only after existing vehicle permit holders have been given an opportunity to renew. (Ord. 7215-NS § 2, 2011: Ord. 6976-NS § 1, 2007: Ord. 6874-NS § 1 (part), 2005: Ord. 6784-NS § 2 (part), 2003: Ord. 6325-NS § 4, 1996)