HomeMy WebLinkAbout15.F.4. Tattoo Licensing
CITY OF SHAKOPEE / s-. F. '/,
Memorandum
TO: Mayor and City Council
Mark McNeill, City Administrator
FROM: Judith S. Cox, City Cler9-'
SUBJECT: Tattoo Licensing
DATE: April 11, 2003
INTRODUCTION:
The City has received a request from Linda Malone, Body Art Tattoo, to eliminate background checks
for a tattoo license or to grant a variance or a temporary license in order to allow hiring employees
before completion of a background check.
BACKGROUND:
In her letter of April 4, 2003, Ms. Malone states that she is not allowed to freely hire employees, as her
business requires, due to the background investigation required prior to licensing a tattoo artist. She is
asking that the City Council eliminate the required background investigation or grant a variance or a
temporary license in order to allow her to hire employees more quickly.
The city code does require an investigation of applicants for business licenses, including taxicabs and
taxicab drivers, tobacco, pawnbrokers, massage centers and massage therapists, and tattoo artists in
addition to alcohol licenses. Investigations are done for health and safety reasons including the moral
character and business reputation of each applicant for a license as deemed necessary.
The city administrator, chief of police, police sergeant, city clerk, and deputy city clerk met to discuss
the request of Ms. Malone as well as the continued practice of conducting background investigations
for the licenses granted by the city. All parties that were present feel that it is in the best interest of the
community to conduct the investigations for these licenses and not in the best interest to issue
temporary licenses. Shakopee is a growing community and businesses are going to multiply as well.
Weare no longer a small bedroom community that is not an attractive place to establish a less than
reputable business operation. Now is not the time to relax on requirements that have been in existence
for many years.
As a rule, staff does not bring applications for licensing to City Council until after the background
investigation has been completed by the Police Department. Depending upon the
date of the next Council meeting, it could be another two weeks. An alternative, to expedite the
issuance of a license, staff could bring the applications to City Council for consideration with any
approval being conditioned upon a successful background investigation, if that is Council's directive.
Tattoo Licensing
April 11 , 2003
Page -2-
The application would not need to come back to Council. (The license would not become effective or
issued until after the successful background investigation.)
A background investigation can be delayed if there is difficulty in reaching references given on the
, application. A background investigation can also be delayed depending upon the workload of the
Police Department at the time an application is received. On a number of occasions applications have
been submitted that are incomplete. This has caused a delay in the background investigation because
the applicant must be contacted for the additional information. When the applicant is not immediately
available it results in a "telephone tag" situation. In the case of a more recent application for a license,
the Police Department received the missing information requested on the application five weeks after
submittal of the incomplete application. The background investigation was then completed in two
working days.
AL TERNA TIVES:
1. Continue conducting background investigations and do not institute temporary licensing.
2. Continue conducting background investigations and begin issuing temporary licenses. We are
unaware of any other municipality that issues temporary licenses.
3. Discontinue conducting background investigations.
4. Consider applications for licenses prior to completion of the background investigation in order
to expedite the licensing process with the understanding that any approval would be
conditioned upon a successful background investigation.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends alternatives number 1 and 4, continue to conduct background investigations for
business licenses, do not begin approving temporary licenses until a background investigation is
completed and direct staff to bring applications before the Council prior to the completion of a
background investigation.
REQUESTED ACTION:
If Council concurs with the recommendation of staff:
Move to continue with the background investigation for business licenses, to not begin issuing
temporary licenses, and direct staff to bring applications before Council before completion of the
background investigation.
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