Unless otherwise stated, the following terms as used in this chapter shall be taken to mean respectively as follows:
"Driver"
means any person in charge of or operating a taxicab either as owner or under the direction of the owner as defined in this section.
"Owner"
means every person, firm or legal individual having control, whether outright ownership, lease or otherwise, of any taxicabs or motor vehicle for hire.
"Stand"
means a parking place designated for the exclusive use of taxicabs while awaiting employment.
"Street"
means any place commonly used for public travel.
"Taxicab"
means any automobile or motor-propelled vehicle used for the transportation for hire of persons over the public streets of the city and not over a defined route, under the direction of the passengers.
(Ord. 21 Art. 1 § 1, 1971)
Every taxicab operated under the provisions of this chapter shall be operated regularly to the extent reasonably necessary to meet the public demand for taxicab service, as determined by the city council.
(Ord. 21 Art. 1 § 2, 1971)
In the event that the taxicab service supplied by a permittee taxicab operator is discontinued, except for causes beyond the control of such permittee, or in the event such permittee taxicab operator fails to operate regularly to the extent reasonably necessary to meet the public demand for taxicab service, the city council may give written notice to such permittee to restore such taxicab service or to operate such service regularly and to the extent reasonably necessary to meet the public demand for taxicab service. If the same is not so restored or so operated within five days after such notice, the city council may, at its discretion, revoke the permit of such permittee.
(Ord. 21 Art. 1 § 3, 1971)
Every applicant for a permit under the provisions of this chapter shall file with the city council a schedule of the fares proposed to be charged by such applicant in the event the application is granted; and the fares, when approved by the city council, shall become a part of the permit and may not thereafter be changed except with the written consent and approval of the city council.
(Ord. 21 Art. 1 § 4, 1971)
The council may designate special cab stands for the use of taxicabs while awaiting employment if the proposed stands will not interfere with the public convenience and provided that the owner requesting the stand complies with the following regulations:
A. 
Application for Stand. The owner must make formal application to the city council for a stand, describing the proposed location of the stand.
B. 
Statement of Adjoining Landowner. He or she must accompany this application to the city council with a signed consent statement by the owner of the land in front of which the stand is to be located.
C. 
Public Convenience. He or she must show in this application that the stand will not interfere with the public convenience.
D. 
Parking of Cabs. Unless parked in a designated stand, no taxicab shall remain on a city street awaiting employment more than three minutes. Any taxicab parked in any location other than those provided by the city council shall be subject to all laws and ordinances of the city in respect to the parking of motor vehicles upon the public streets of the city.
E. 
Reserving of Stands. Stands shall be marked and reserved to the exclusive use of taxicabs.
(Ord. 21 Art. 1 § 5, 1971)
No owner shall engage in the business of operating any taxicab or other motor vehicle for hire within the city without first obtaining a permit in writing to do so from the city council.
(Ord. 21 Art. 2 § 1, 1971)
Application for such permit shall be written, addressed to the city council, and filed with the city clerk and shall include the following information:
A. 
Owner. The name of the owner, if a single person, his or her address, and his or her age;
B. 
Partners. If a partnership, the respective names, addresses and ages of the partners;
C. 
Corporation. If a corporation, the name of the corporation, its place of business and place and date of incorporation, and the names and addresses of its principal officers;
D. 
Firm Name, Address. The name under which the firm is to operate and the prospective address of the firm;
E. 
Employees. The name of those whom the owner intends to employ in the operation of the firm;
F. 
Color Scheme, Insignia. A description of the color scheme and distinctive insignia to be employed;
G. 
Vehicles. A description of the taxicabs to be used in the operation of the firm, including make, model, motor and serial numbers, state license number, and seating capacity;
H. 
Prior Revocations. Whether or not a previous city license has been revoked, and if so, the date and conditions of such revocation;
I. 
Other Information. Any further information that the council may require.
(Ord. 21 Art. 2 § 2, 1971)
The city council shall have the power to issue or refuse any permit required by Section 5.16.060 as the public welfare, convenience or necessity may require. The city council shall refuse to issue such permit when it shall find as a fact that transportation facilities already available are adequate to meet the public need.
(Ord. 21 Art. 2 § 3, 1971)
The city council shall have the right to refuse a permit, required by Section 5.16.060 to any applicant whose responsibilities, qualifications or methods of operating its business do not comply with standards and requirements as determined by the city council.
(Ord. 21 Art. 2 § 4, 1971)
Permits issued under the provisions of Sections 5.16.060 through 5.16.100 shall be restricted to the applicant to whom such permit is issued and shall not be subject to transfer by him to any other person without the written consent and approval of the city council. Upon application for such approval, the city council may require the same information regarding the transferee as might be required by the city council in the case of an original application for permit.
(Ord. 21 Art. 2 § 5, 1971)
In the event the city council shall determine, at any time, that the public convenience and necessity require the granting of a permit for the operation of automobiles for hire, in addition to those then permitted, the privilege of obtaining such permit shall first be offered to any operators of automobiles for hire then having current and existing permits previously granted by the city council in the order in which such current and existing permits were first granted by the city council. If the holders of such permits should fail to avail themselves of the order of a new permit, or of a permit for the addition to the number of automobiles operated by such permit holders, within ten days from the date that such offer is communicated to such permit holders by the city council, and should thereafter fail to place in service such additional motor vehicles available for use upon the public streets in the city in accordance with the terms of such permit, within a period of thirty days from the date of the acceptance of such additional permit, then the permit shall be offered to applicants not currently possessing a permit under this chapter.
(Ord. 21 Art. 3 § 1, 1971)
A. 
No person shall operate any taxicab in the city unless there shall be on file with the city clerk a policy of insurance or a certificate of insurance, executed and delivered by a company authorized to carry on an insurance business in the state, the financial responsibility of which company shall have been approved by the city attorney, by the terms of which insurance policy the insurance company assumes responsibility for the legal liability of the owner or operator of such taxicab for injuries to persons or property, caused by the operation of such taxicab, in the following amounts:
1. 
Fifty thousand dollars for property damage;
2. 
Two hundred fifty thousand dollars for death or injury to any one person in any one accident;
3. 
Five hundred thousand dollars for death or injury to two or more persons in one accident.
B. 
Such insurance shall be maintained in force so long as taxicab is operated in the city.
(Ord. 21 Art. 4 § 1, 1971)
Each person applying for a taxicab driver's permit shall make application to the office of the city treasurer and pay a nonreturnable fee of five dollars.
(Ord. 21 Art. 5 § 2, 1971)
Before operating a taxicab, each driver must present himself at the police station and satisfy the chief of police that he or she has met the following requirements:
A. 
That he or she is in possession of a valid chauffeur's license issued him by the state;
B. 
That he or she is at least twenty-one years of age;
C. 
That he or she can speak the English language;
D. 
That he or she has never been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude;
E. 
That he or she is physically fit to operate a taxicab safely in the city;
F. 
That he or she has sufficient knowledge of the traffic laws and ordinances governing taxicabs and their maintenance and operation.
(Ord. 21 Art. 5 § 3, 1971; Ord. 236, 1980)
This permit, setting forth the driver's name, the owner's name and address, and bearing the driver's picture, shall be displayed while the driver is operating the taxicab so as to be easily visible in the passenger's compartment of the taxicab.
(Ord. 21 Art. 5 § 5, 1971)
If the driver violates any of the regulations set forth in this chapter or is convicted of two or more traffic violations while operating a taxicab, he or she shall be liable to suspension or revocation of this permit.
(Ord. 21 Art. 5 § 6, 1971)