Title
Amending Chapter 376 of the Legislative Code pertaining to taxicab service company license applicant qualifications.
Body
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL DOES ORDAIN:
SECTION 1
Section 376.16 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
Sec. 376.17. - Taxicab service company licenses.
(a) Any applicant for a taxicab service company license must demonstrate financial ability to operate taxicab services, be affiliated with no less than five (5) taxicabs actively licensed within the City of Saint Paul, and provide 24-hour dispatching, advertising, record keeping and other common services to a group of taxicab owners and operators and an adequate level of past service, if any. All taxicabs affiliated with a taxicab service company must share the same distinctive color scheme and company name. In addition to any other applicable grounds set forth in this chapter, or other chapters of this code, taxicab service company licenses are subject to adverse action for the following violations:
(1) Failure to maintain no less than five (5) licensed, affiliated taxicabs within the City of Saint Paul at all times.
(2) The operation of unlicensed affiliated taxicabs within the City of Saint Paul.
(b) The above requirements notwithstanding, taxicab service companies that were legally in operation within Saint Paul prior to 1995, and have remained in uninterrupted operation since that time, may continue to operate with their current number of actively licensed taxicabs, provided that such taxicab service companies may not reduce the number of affiliated taxicabs. Should the number of taxicabs affiliated with such a taxicab service company reach five (5) or more, this provision shall cease to apply to that taxicab service company.
(a) In order to qualify for a taxicab service company license, whether upon initial application or upon application for renewal of a license, and applicant must be able to show the following:
(1) An applicant shall be in compliance with all applicable city, State of Minnesota and federal laws;
(2) An applicant shall be affiliated with no less than five (5) taxicabs actively licensed within the City of Saint Paul, and provide 24-hour dispatching, advertising, record keeping and other common services to a group of taxicab owners and operators and an adequate level of past service, if any.
(a) The above requirements notwithstanding, taxicab service companies that were legally in operation within Saint Paul prior to 1995, and have remained in uninterrupted operation since that time, may continue to operate with their current number of actively licensed taxicabs, provided that such taxicab service companies may not reduce the number of affiliated taxicabs. Should the number of taxicabs affiliated with such a taxicab service company reach five (5) or more, this provision shall cease to apply to that taxicab service company.
(3) With respect to any corporate or limited liability company applicant, the company shall be organized, registered, or qualified to do business under the laws of the State of Minnesota;
(4) The applicant(s) shall be the true beneficial owner(s) of the taxicab service company business to be licensed. The full legal names and addresses of all corporate officers and persons holding a twenty-five (25) percent or greater beneficial interest in the business shall be provided on the application, and shall have no felony convictions in the past five (5) years, nor any gross misdemeanor or misdemeanor convictions involving the use of force, possession or sale of a controlled substance, prostitution, or indecent conduct. The licensing official may grant an exception to this provision upon evidence that the offense is not related to the operation of a taxicab service company;
(5) The applicant must show that all taxicabs affiliated with a taxicab service company will share the same distinctive color scheme and company name;
(b) No applicant is eligible for a license if any taxicab service company license held by the applicant, or by any officer or director of a corporate applicant or partner of a partnership applicant, has been revoked within the previous five (5) years, or if the applicant, or any officer or director of a corporate applicant or partner in a partnership applicant, within the five (5) years immediately preceding the date of his application, has been either convicted, or in custody, under parole or under any other noncustodial supervision resulting from a conviction in a court of any jurisdiction for the commission of any felony or its equivalent under federal or other jurisdictional law.
(c) Adverse Action. In addition to any other applicable grounds set forth in this chapter, or other chapters of this code, taxicab service company licenses are subject to adverse action for the following violations:
(1) Failure to maintain no less than five (5) licensed, affiliated taxicabs within the City of Saint Paul at all times.
(2) The operation of unlicensed affiliated taxicabs within the City of Saint Paul.
SECTION 2
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force thirty (30) days following its passage, approval and publication.