Lompoc Municipal Code Art. IV Public Convenience and Necessity

Every owner of a taxicab operating regularly within the City of Lompoc shall apply for and obtain a finding of public convenience and necessity by the City Council, prior to the issuance of a taxicab owner's permit to the operator. This Chapter shall not apply to a taxicab operated only occasionally within the City and incident to a business conducted elsewhere.

(Prior code § 3025)

A. An application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity shall be filed with the City Clerk upon forms provided by the City Clerk. Such applications shall be verified under penalty of perjury and shall furnish the following information:

1. The name and address of the applicant;

2. The financial status of the applicant in sufficient detail to demonstrate the ability of the applicant to operate and provide an adequate and reliable taxicab service to the City;

3. The experience of the applicant in the operation of a taxicab service;

4. Any facts which the applicant believes tend to prove that public convenience and necessity require the granting of a certificate;

5. The number of vehicles proposed to be operated by the applicant, together with a description of each and a description of the location of the proposed business and any branches thereof proposed within the City;

6. Such further similar information as the City Clerk may require.

B. The application shall be accompanied by the payment of an investigation fee of $100.00.

(Prior code § 3026)

Upon the filing of an application for a finding, the City Clerk shall provide copies thereof and transmit the same to the City Manager, the City Attorney, the Police Chief, the Management Services Director, and the Director of Community Development. Each of said officers shall file a report with the City Clerk regarding said application and may in addition thereto request that the City Clerk obtain further information from the applicant which they require for the purpose of such a report. Promptly after having received all reports from all officers, including final reports based upon any further information requested by any of said officers, the City Clerk shall fix a time and place for a public hearing on the application by the Council at a regular or adjourned regular meeting of the Council. The City Clerk shall cause notice of such hearing to be given to the applicant and to all persons to whom taxicab owner's permits have heretofore been issued not less than ten days prior to the date of said hearing.

(Prior code § 3027; Ord. 1673(20) § 42)

A. If the Council finds that taxicab service or additional taxicab service in the City is required by the public convenience and necessity, and that the applicant is fit, willing and able to provide such service, and to conform to the provisions of this Chapter, and the regulations promulgated by the Council, pursuant to this Chapter, then the Council shall record such findings in its minutes and direct the City Clerk to issue a taxicab owner's permit to the applicant for the operation of a taxicab service in the City by the applicant, conditional upon compliance by the applicant with all other provisions of this Chapter. Otherwise the Council shall deny the application.

B. In making the above findings, the Council shall take into consideration the reports of the officers above designated, as made to the City Clerk, the number of taxicabs and taxicab services already in operation in the City at the time of said hearing, whether existing taxicab service is adequate to meet the public need, the probable effect of additional service or competitive service on local taxicab services, their traffic conditions, and the character, experience and responsibility of the applicant. (The requirement of the obtaining of a finding of public convenience and necessity shall not apply to any taxicab owner located and operating under present taxicab owner's permit in the City on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this Section and for one year previous thereto).

(Prior code § 3028)