A contractor, as used in this chapter, means any person, group of persons, organization, company, corporation, or other entity, however described, which attempts or does obtain signatures of voters on any local initiative, referendum or recall petition (as defined in the California Elections Code), through the use of paid political circulators or volunteer political circulators. A contractor may, but need not, have direct contact with any paid or volunteer political circulators, but may utilize another contractor holding a valid permit as an intermediary.
(Ord. 1124 § 4, 1997)
Any contractor, before accepting any signature affixed to a local initiative, referendum or recall petition, shall first receive a permit issued by the city clerk to act as a contractor.
(Ord. 1124 § 4, 1997)
A. 
Every applicant for a permit to act as a contractor shall identify each business entity and each and every person responsible for the applicant's actions as a contractor.
1. 
Each business entity shall be identified by its legal name, with the principal business address in the state and a business telephone number. The applicant shall also name at least one principal of the business who may be contacted regarding the activities for which the permit is required, and at least one person authorized to receive service of process on behalf of the entity, along with the business address and telephone number for each.
2. 
Each person responsible for the applicant's actions as a contractor shall be identified as follows: by full name, official title, complete business or residence address and telephone number where that person may be contacted regarding the activities for which the permit is required.
B. 
Any person or persons acting on behalf of the applicant who is not a person responsible for the applicant's actions as a contractor shall be deemed to be an agent of the applicant.
(Ord. 1124 § 4, 1997)
A. 
Every application for a permit for a contractor shall be submitted on a form provided by the city clerk.
B. 
Applications for permits under this section shall be provided by the city clerk and shall be available at the office of the city clerk during normal business hours.
C. 
A completed application shall be submitted to the city clerk.
D. 
The city clerk shall approve for issuance of a permit each application submitted, or shall notify the applicant by mail of the reason the application is not approved, within five working days of receipt of the application.
E. 
No fees shall be charged for the submission or review of an application, nor for the issuance of the permit.
(Ord. 1124 § 4, 1997)
A. 
A contractor shall maintain in the contractor's business records at the contractor's principal business location all of the following:
1. 
The name, current residence address, telephone number if a number exists, and a paid political circulator permit number for each person to whom any payment is anticipated or is made for circulating for signing any local initiative, referendum or recall petition as a paid political circulator.
2. 
The name, current residence address, telephone number if a number exists, and a volunteer political circulator permit number for each person who circulates for signing any local initiative, referendum or recall petition, as a volunteer political circulator on behalf of contractor.
3. 
If paid political circulators are used by the contractor, the date, time and amount of any payment made to each paid political circulator for circulating for signing any local initiative, referendum or recall petition, along with the number of signatures submitted and for which the payment is made.
4. 
If volunteer political circulators are used by the contractor, the number of signatures submitted by each volunteer political circulator.
B. 
The contractor shall verify and note in the payment records that the signature of the paid political circulator appears as that of the circulator on any petition sections for which payment is being made and that the photograph on the paid political circulator permit has been compared and is a photograph of the person to whom any payment is made before making the payment.
C. 
The contractor shall verify and note in the records that the signature of the volunteer political circulator appears as that of the circulator on any petition sections submitted by each volunteer political circulator, and that the photograph on the volunteer political circulator permit has been compared and is a photograph of the person who is submitting the circulated petitions.
D. 
Any payment made to another contractor shall be recorded in a manner substantially similar to that required for recording payments to a paid political circulator.
E. 
Records maintained in accordance with this chapter are subject to review by a duly authorized representative of the city clerk or a peace officer in the conduct of official business or an investigation, during normal business hours, upon a reasonable demand, taking into consideration the time, place and circumstances present at the time of the demand.
F. 
For purposes of this section, "payment" shall include money or anything of value.
(Ord. 1124 § 4, 1997)