City staff recommends denying limo operating authority; council discussed refund of applicant fee

City Secretary staff told the council that a limousine company’s application for an operating authority submitted on March 18, 2025, should be denied because the applicant failed to provide required proof of insurance despite repeated notifications and a final deadline communicated to the applicant of Aug. 5.

Staff action and outreach: The applicant paid the $300 application fee and submitted partial documentation but did not deliver insurance evidence. City Secretary staff attempted phone and email contact and had a late July in‑person visit in which the applicant said he still could not get insurance. The staff memo recommended denial per the city’s taxi/operating-authority ordinance, since applications cannot remain pending indefinitely.

Council comments: Councilmember Massaro asked whether the fee could be refunded; staff said the council has authority to order a refund. Councilmember Solomon recommended refunding the $300 given economic circumstances and to give the applicant a chance to reapply at a later date. The staff noted that a refund would be processed if the council approved it during the regular agenda.

Decision and next steps: The denial recommendation was presented on the consent agenda with staff’s recommendation to deny the operating authority; council also discussed a possible refund of the application fee, to be considered as part of regular-agenda consent action.