Lino Lakes Ledger
First Reading Held On BCA Ordinance
At its meeting of August 25, the Lino Lakes City Council held the first reading of Ordinance No. 12-08, which relates to the background investigations conducted by cities when researching candidates for employment.
The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) is requiring that all Minnesota cities who use BCA’s data base to conduct such research adopt the ordinance, which provides remedies for applicants who are rejected on the basis of the background check.
The ordinance authorizes the Lino Lakes Police Department to conduct a criminal history background investigation on applicants for the following city licenses, and to access Minnesota’s Computerized Criminal History for that purpose: liquor; tobacco; cabaret; charitable gambling; special event; peddler, solicitor, transient merchant; taxicab; pawnbroker, precious metal dealers, secondhand good dealers; adult uses.
Applicants must authorize the investigation in writing. Under the ordinance, cities are precluded from excluding an applicant for consideration “unless the crime is directly related to the position of employment sought and the conviction is for a felony, gross misdemeanor, or misdemeanor with a jail sentence.”
The ordinance also requires that if the applicant is rejected on the basis of the BCA data, he/she be notified in writing, provided the earliest date they may reapply for the position, and informed that evidence of rehabilitation will be considered upon that reapplication.
In other action, the council:
• Approved moving the council’s September work session from the first Monday of the month to Tuesday, September 2.
• Accepted the resignation of Officer Jennifer Randall from the LLPD.
• Proclaimed the week of Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week.
• Accepted donations from the Lino Lakes Lions Club and the Lexington Firefighters Relief Association to help defray the costs of Safety Camp.
• Extended an offer of employment to Joel Martin for the position of police officer.
• Authorized the LLPD’s continued involvement in the Safe & Sober Communities program through the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
• Approved a preliminary and final plat and development contract for the Byrne Langer Addition in which one additional lot will be created within the Clearwater Creek 4th Addition neighborhood.
• Accepted the deed to a parcel of land described as Parcel 15, City of Lino Lakes R/W Plat No. 1 conveyed from the State of Minnesota. The parcel becomes public right-of-way.