2002-50 AMENDING CITY CODE - CHAPTER 60 - TAXICABS AND TAXI DRIVERS

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Sprin�eld: If the applicant is convicted of serious felonies involving violence against persons, crimes against children, sexual crimes, and drugs they can be refitsed a license unless 10 years have passed since conviction or release from prison. Champaign/Urbana: The same regulations apply, except the time limit is four(4)years following conviction, release from prison. Bloomington: Only requires applicants to disclose convictions within the past five(5)years for any felony or sex offenses in Illinois or equivalent offenses in other jurisdictions. License may be denied if there is a conviction with the past five(5)years of any felony or offense under Article 11 of the ILCS. The truth is also required. Peoria: If the applicant is convicted of any felonies under ILCS Articles 11 or 12, including any felony while operating or using a taxi cab, license is denied. However,the City Manager may issue a license if any of the above felony convictions was more than 10 years from the date of application and imprisonment was completed more than five(5)years prior and the applicant can demonstrate they have been rehabilitated to warrant trust. Danville: The same regulations as Peoria apply except it is the Chief of Police that issues the license rather than the City Manager. Councilman Edwards also requested more information. I believe he asked for two items; one was whether or not the City employed any convicted felons, and the other was restrictions pertaining to convictions of License Practical Nurse applicants who were to be assigned to homebound patient treatment. In checking with City of Decatur Human Resources Manager Jackie Williams, I was told that the City may very well have convicted felons employed. Certainly there are none in the Police Department because ILCS prohibited such. However, until six(6)months ago,the City of Decatur did no criminal background investigation on any of its job applicants. A City of Decatur job application did not, and does not currently, ask applicants to divulge felony convictions. Applicants are told a felony conviction does not automatically preclude them from being hired by the City of Decatur(excepting police applicants), but it is taken into consideration along with all their other qualifications for the job. Finally, I have attached to this memorandum a copy of the portion of the nursing applicant regulations Councilman Edwards requested. It is too detailed to summarize or articulate in this document. Although my convictions and recommendations concerning restricting convicted felons from obtaining taxicab driver's licenses came from my heart and what I believe is the best interest of this community, it is clear from the last public discussion of this matter that at least some of the council members question my position. Rather than see the"baby thrown out with the bath water", I would like to propose a compromise to council that would, at best, diminish some of the risk involved in my approval of a convicted felon's taxicab driver's license application. Please consider the following: 1. Any person licensed by the City of Decatur as a tazicab driver for at least five (S)years prior to passage of this amendment to Chapter 60, and has not been convicted of any felony under Illinois state statutes within the past 10 years, or been released from a penal institution within the