Item Number: 3
City Council / Board of Directors
Public Hearing(s)
Meeting of: November 4, 2025
Submitted By:
Joe Slegers, Building Official
Subject:
An Amendment to the Victorville Municipal Code with an environmental exemption, to adopt amendments to Chapter 7 of Title 16 of the Victorville Municipal Code relating to Business License processes, including the introduction of live scan procedures and other minor administrative updates
Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council:
(1) Open and conduct a Public Hearing;
(2) Close the Public Hearing;
(3) Find the Municipal Code Amendment exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3); (4) Introduce Ordinance No. 2459 for adoption and first reading by title only; and (5) Waive further reading in full of proposed Ordinance No. 2459.
Fiscal Impact:
The adoption of proposed Ordinance 2459 is not anticipated to result in direct budgetary impacts; however, implementation of the Ordinance may lead to increased staff time and associated personnel costs due to the administration of the fingerprinting process and review of live scan background checks. However, such costs are expected to be offset by collection of business license and/or user fees designed to recover the City’s reasonable costs of providing these new services.
The Ordinance may also generate additional revenue through business license fees, specifically in cases where live scan requirements are applicable. These fees would be collected under newly established business licensing user fee categories that were adopted by City Council and became effective January 1, 2025. The costs and revenues associated with this item are unknown at this time but are not anticipated to be substantial. 4 4
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Strategic Plan Goal:
Proposed Ordinance 2459 generally aims to enhance Goal B, Public Safety, by establishing operational and licensing requirements for businesses subject to live scan background checks, such as vendors, non-emergency medical transportation (“NEMT”) drivers, and ice cream truck operators by offering the required live scan services in-house.
Additionally, the Ordinance supports Goal C, Community and Economic Development, by offering faster, more convenient in-house live scan services for businesses seeking city licensure. This approach also helps ensure ongoing compliance with local regulations, benefiting both the community and business owners.
Background:
Staff proposes amendments to Chapter 7 “Business License” of Title 16 of the Victorville Municipal Code (“VMC”) to align administrative approval authorities with recent changes to the City’s departmental structure. These revisions will ensure that the Code reflects current roles and responsibilities across City departments.
The proposed amendments also expand options for completing live scan background checks, with the goal of improving accessibility and streamlining the application process for business license applicants. This includes adding flexibility in how and where live scans may be completed, offering Business License staff within City Hall as a secondary option.
Additionally, minor grammatical corrections and clarifications are included to enhance the readability of the Chapter and to support a more consistent implementation.
In accordance with the recommendation provided by the Victorville Planning Commission at their October 8, 2025 meeting approving Case No. PLAN25-00016, staff is proposing the adoption of Ordinance No. 2459 to amend VMC Title 16, Chapter 7 as part of an operational update recommended by the Business License Division to improve internal efficiency and expand service offerings for both City departments and the public.
Discussion:
Proposed Ordinance No. 2459 amending Title 16, Chapter 7 of the VMC is included as Attachment A. While the amendment includes minor grammatical corrections and clarifying edits to enhance readability, the primary focus is to revise enforcement authority provisions to reflect current departmental responsibilities and organizational structure. In addition, the amendment authorizes the City to provide in-house live scan fingerprinting services for certain business license applicants, as further detailed below.
Changes in Administrative Duties
In 2021, the City reorganized its internal structure by transferring the Business License Division from the Code Enforcement Department to the Building Department. This change was implemented to improve workflow efficiency and customer service, recognizing that 4 4
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business license processing is often closely tied to building permits, tenant improvements, and occupancy approvals — functions already managed by the Building Department.
Despite this operational shift, Chapter 7 of the Development Code (Title 16) has not yet been updated to reflect the Building Official’s role in administering and enforcing the provisions of the Business License chapter. As a result, the current code lacks clarity regarding departmental responsibilities, which may lead to confusion among both staff and applicants.
The proposed Title 16 amendment addresses this oversight by formally designating the Building Official as an enforcing agent under Chapter 7. At the same time, it retains references to the Code Enforcement Official in areas where their involvement remains appropriate, such as in the denial or revocation of a business license due to compliance violations. This balanced approach ensures enforcement authority is clearly defined, aligns with the City’s current organizational structure, and maintains continuity in regulatory oversight where applicable.
Live Scan Service Expansion
As part of the City’s public safety protocols, certain business license applicants — such as drivers of vehicles for hire, vendors, and door-to-door solicitors — are required to complete live scan fingerprinting as a condition of licensure. Other City departments also require live scan fingerprinting, such as Human Resources for new employee hires, and Community Services for volunteers. Historically, the Victorville Police Department has provided these live scan services and supported the background review process for applicants of these license types.
Under the proposed code amendment, the responsibility for administering live scan services will now be available through the Business License Division, following its designation as an authorized Applicant Agency Live Scan Service Provider by the California Department of Justice (“DOJ”). This transition is intended to streamline the licensing process, improve accessibility for applicants, and reduce reliance on law enforcement resources.
To support this function and responsibility, the Business License Division has acquired the necessary fingerprinting equipment, established a cost-recovery fee structure, and ensured that designated personnel have received DOJ Fingerprint Roller Certification.
Certified staff include Sabrina Losorelli (Licensing Technician), Jamie Korby (Administrative Analyst), and Joseph Slegers (Building Official), all of whom have completed the required training and background clearances. Additionally, Jamie Korby has been certified as the City’s Live Scan Custodian of Records, responsible for securely managing applicant background information and serving as the primary point of contact with the DOJ.
Proposed Ordinance No. 2459 will authorize the City to offer live scan services directly at City Hall, eliminating the need for applicants to travel to off-site facilities such as the Police 4 4
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Department. This change is expected to enhance customer convenience and improve internal coordination across departments involved in business license processing.
Environmental Assessment
Proposed Ordinance No. 2459, which involves changes that are administrative in nature, including updates to enforcement authority within the Business License chapter and provisions for in-house live scan fingerprinting services, will not have an effect on the environment and the adoption thereof is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA guidelines. There is no possibility that the proposed Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment as the amendments it proposes do not modify existing VMC provisions in a manner that will negatively affect the environment.
Therefore, in accordance with the Planning Commission’s recommendation (see materials in Attachment B), staff respectfully recommends that the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 2459 to amend Chapter 7 of Title 16 of the VMC as discussed herein.
Staff remains available for any questions the Council may have.
Prepared By:
Jamie Korby, Administrative Analyst, Business License Division Attachments: A. Ordinance No. 2459
B. Planning Commission Minutes, Agenda Item, and Resolution No.
P-25-030