[Amended 12-13-2023 by L.L. No. 2-2023]
No person shall drive or own a taxicab or operate a taxicab
business within the City of Glens Falls without first having procured
a license therefor as hereinafter provided. The failure to acquire
appropriate licenses may result in penalties and fines set by the
Common Council.
A.
Method of filing. Application forms for an owner's license may be
obtained at the City Clerk's office. An application for an owner's
license shall be filed, in duplicate, with and the fee therefor paid
to the City Clerk, who shall stamp both copies as filed and issue
a receipt to the applicant for the fee. The applicant will then take
the receipt and both copies of the application to the Chief of Police.
One application is necessary for each taxicab sought to be licensed.
The application shall contain the following information:
(1)
The name and address of the owner or owners and, if the owner is
a corporation, the names and addresses of the officers of the corporation.
(2)
The make, type, model, year of manufacture, serial number, engine
number, state registration number and seating capacity of the vehicle.
(3)
The name, place or places of residence for the five years last past
and the age of the person to be in immediate responsible charge of
the operation of the taxicab or taxicabs.
(4)
Whether the applicant or any of the applicants have ever been licensed
to operate a taxicab and, if so, where and whether such previous license
has ever been revoked or suspended and, if so, for what cause.
(5)
Such other information as the Common Council, the Board of Public
Safety or the Chief of Police may require.
B.
Other documents to be filed. The application must be accompanied
by a certificate in duplicate on a form to be prescribed by the Board
of Public Safety and obtained from the City Clerk and to be signed
by the owner or operator of a reputable automobile garage or by a
reputable automobile mechanic certifying that the motor vehicle proposed
to be used as a taxicab is in good mechanical condition. The examination
of the vehicle upon which the certificate is based must be made within
10 days prior to the filing of the certificate.
A.
Method of filing. Application forms for a taxicab driver's license
may be obtained at the City Clerk's office. An application for a taxicab
driver's license shall be filed, in duplicate, with and the fee therefor
paid to the City Clerk, who shall stamp both copies as filed and issue
a receipt to the applicant for the fee. The applicant will then take
the receipt and both copies of the application to the Chief of Police.
The application shall contain the following information concerning
the applicant:
[Amended 12-13-2023 by L.L. No. 2-2023]
(1)
The applicant's name and age.
(2)
The places of residence of the applicant for the five years last
past.
(3)
The number on the applicant's New York State chauffeur's license.
(4)
The color, complexion, height, color of hair and eyes of the applicant
and a description of any other physical characteristics deemed necessary
to identify the applicant.
(5)
Whether the applicant is a citizen of the United States.
(6)
Whether the applicant has ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor
and, if so, the date of such conviction and the disposition thereof.
(7)
Whether the applicant is at the time under indictment in any state
for a felony.
(8)
Whether the applicant has previously been licensed as a taxicab driver
at any place and, if so, whether such license has ever been suspended
or revoked and, if so, when and for what reasons.
(9)
Whether the applicant's chauffeur's or operator's license, whether
issued by New York State or any other state, has ever been revoked
or suspended and, if so, for what reason and what disposition has
been made of the case.
(10)
Such other information as the Common Council, the Board of Public
Safety or the Chief of Police may require.
B.
Other documents to be filed. The application must be accompanied
by:
(1)
Three unmounted photographs of the applicant, 2 1/2 inches by
three inches in size, which shall be recent photographs and be his
substantial likeness.
(2)
Recommendations, in duplicate, on forms to be obtained from the City
Clerk made by at least two reputable persons certifying to their acquaintance
with the applicant, the good record of the applicant, his honesty,
sobriety and good moral conduct.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection C, Fingerprinting,
which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 2-14-2012
by L.L. No. 2-2012.
A.
The Common Council shall establish the fee schedule for owner's and
taxicab driver's licenses and may amend fees via Council resolution,
as needed. The fee schedule shall be posted on the City website.
[Amended 12-18-1997 by L.L. No. 8-1997; 11-8-2011 by L.L. No.
8-2011; 12-13-2023 by L.L. No. 2-2023]
B.
The license for drivers shall have one of the driver's pictures securely
affixed, and the Seal of the City shall be so impressed on the license
that a part of the driver's picture is raised. Upon receiving an application
for a license, the Chief of Police shall cause such investigation
of the applicant to be made as he thinks proper. Driver's licenses
shall be issued or refused by the Chief of Police. Any person aggrieved
by his refusal to issue a license may appeal to the Board of Public
Safety, which may direct the Chief of Police to issue the license.
C.
Owner's licenses shall be issued or refused by the Chief of Police
upon the order of the Board of Public Safety after the Board of Public
Safety has received the recommendation and report of the Chief of
Police. Any person aggrieved by the action taken may request a review
of the decision by the Board of Public Safety.
D.
All licenses shall be signed by the Chief of Police and signed and
sealed by the City Clerk.
E.
If the request for a license is refused, the license fee will be
returned. If the request for a license is granted, the fee will entitle
the applicant to a license for the balance of the calendar year.
F.
Licenses will expire on the 31st day of December next following their
issuance, except that applications filed in the last two weeks in
December in each year shall be issued as of January 1 of the following
year and shall run for the full year.
G.
Nothing herein contained shall prevent the revocation or suspension
of a license in a proper case prior to its expiration date.
A.
Owners' licenses.
(1)
Consent required. Owners' licenses may not be transferred from one
owner to another without the consent of the Board of Public Safety,
on the recommendation of the Chief of Police. In cases where such
consent is given, the transfer may be made only after an investigation
similar to that made upon an original request for a license, but it
may be made without charge.
(2)
Replacement of vehicles. In the event that the vehicle used as a
taxicab is sold by the owner and replaced during the course of the
license year with another vehicle, the owner's license for the vehicle
so sold must be surrendered; and upon such surrender, together with
a certificate, as above mentioned, certifying as to the good mechanical
condition of the vehicle, a new license will be issued without charge.
B.
Drivers' licenses. In no event may a driver's license issued under
the terms of this chapter be transferred from one driver to another.
However, if a driver changes employers, he may have his license endorsed
by the Chief of Police to enable him to drive a licensed taxicab of
his new employer. Such endorsement shall be without charge.
A.
Owners' licenses. An owner's license may be suspended at any time
by the Chief of Police or the Board of Public Safety and may be revoked
at any time by the Board of Public Safety for a violation of this
chapter or if the licensed vehicle is used for immoral business or
purposes or if the licensed owner is twice convicted within a period
of six months of a violation of any state law or City ordinance relating
to the operation of motor vehicles or if any one licensed driver of
the licensed owner is convicted of a violation of this chapter twice
within a period of six months or is three times convicted within a
period of six months of a violation of any state law or City ordinance
relating to the operation of motor vehicles. Whenever any owner's
license is revoked or suspended, it shall be surrendered to the Chief
of Police. In the case of a suspension, the license shall be retained
by the Chief of Police until the suspension period expires. In a case
of a revocation, the license shall be destroyed by the Chief of Police.
In the event that any person to whom an owner's license is issued
has such license suspended on three separate and distinct occasions
within a period of 18 months, the third suspension shall automatically
result in a revocation.
B.
Drivers' licenses. A drivers license may be suspended or revoked
at any time by the Chief of Police for a violation of this chapter
and must be revoked if the driver is convicted of a misdemeanor or
felony or indicted for a felony involving moral turpitude or upon
two convictions within a period of six months of a violation of any
of the traffic laws of the State of New York or ordinances of this
city. In cases of suspension and revocation, the license shall be
surrendered to the Chief of Police. Upon the termination of the suspension,
it shall be returned to the licensed driver. Upon revocation, the
license shall be destroyed by the Chief of Police. A third suspension
within a period of 18 months shall result in an automatic revocation
of the license.
C.
Endorsement on license. Any suspension of a license shall be noted
on the face thereof by the Chief of Police before the license is returned
to the licensed owner or license driver.
D.
Appeal. Any person aggrieved by the action of the Chief of Police
or the Board of Public Safety may ask for and receive a hearing before
the Board of Public Safety, and, at such hearing, he may present such
testimony as may be proper. After hearing the grievance, the Board
of Public Safety, if satisfied that the action taken was, under the
circumstances, more severe than necessary or that extenuating circumstances
exist, may end the suspension or change the revocation to a suspension
or direct that a new license be issued to replace the revoked license,
and the Board of Public Safety may, in making such decisions, attach
to them such stipulations and conditions as it may deem necessary
or desirable in the case.
A.
Owners. The Chief of Police and the City Clerk shall each keep a
register of the name of each person to whom an owner's license for
a taxicab is issued. Each register shall contain or refer to the file
where the same is kept, the application for the license and such other
information as the Board of Public Safety shall require.
B.
Drivers. The Chief of Police and the City Clerk shall each keep a
register of the name of each person to whom a driver's license for
a taxicab is issued. Each register shall contain or refer to the file
where the same is kept, the application for the license and such other
information as the Board of Public Safety shall require.
C.
Entries; public records. A note of all suspensions or revocations
made shall be entered upon both registers by the Chief of Police.
The registers shall be public records and may be inspected by any
member of the public during ordinary business hours of the offices
in which they are kept, and they shall be kept in such form and in
such manner that as complete a history as possible of the licensee
during the period or periods of his licensed activities shall be available.
D.
Notation of vehicular inspection. Both registers of owner's licenses
shall contain a note made by the Chief of Police to the effect that
the original mechanical inspection of the taxicab and all subsequent
inspections thereof as hereinafter provided for have been received,
together with the date of their receipt, and all certificates of inspection
shall be filed with the original application papers for the license.
