Town of Glocester, RI Chapter 174 Entertainment - Special Events for Liquor Establishments

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Glocester 1-19-2017, effective 2-15-2017. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 174-1 Purpose and intent.

The purpose of this article is to promote temperance and public safety with respect to those establishments which hold liquor licenses and wish to hold special events on or about the licensed premises. This article is also intended to protect and promote the peaceful enjoyment of property by those residents who abut or adjoin a licensed establishment.

§ 174-2 Definition.

Special events for establishments that hold liquor licenses are those events that are held outside the normal course of business and outside a licensed building at which outdoor entertainment is offered, including but not limited to sporting events, fund-raisers, car washes, car shows and bike runs that either commence or end at the licensed establishment.

§ 174-3 License required.

No person or entity shall conduct or operate a special event at a licensed establishment without first obtaining approval as provided in this article from the Town Council acting as the Liquor Licensing Board for the Town and a license from the Town Licensing Clerk.

§ 174-4 Application procedure.

A. Applications for approval of the issuance of special event licenses shall be made to the Town at the same time that applications are made for the issuance or renewal of the underlying liquor license but, in no event, no less than 30 days prior to the date of the scheduled special event. Applications shall be made upon forms prepared by the Town Clerk and shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the applicant;

(2) The nature of the proposed special event(s), including any entertainment, location and date(s);

(3) The provisions for medical assistance, fire protection, police protection, parking facilities, protection of the neighboring property, crowd control and sanitary facilities;

(4) The hours of operation; and

(5) Such other information as the Town Council shall find reasonably necessary to effectuate the purpose of this article and to arrive at a fair determination of whether the terms to this article have been complied with.

B. An application hereunder shall be accompanied by a plat or drawing of the area or areas where the special event is to take place showing its location, size and capacity, location and size of entrances and exits, size and location of walls, fences or barriers surrounding said location, a three-hundred-foot radius map, and a list of the names and addresses of all owners of property within the radius area.

C. Upon receipt of such application, the Town Clerk shall assign said application for hearing before the Town Council. A notice shall be sent by regular mail at least one week prior to the hearing to the owners of all properties within 300 feet of the perimeter of the premises in or on which the special events are sought to be located. The application and public hearing shall also be advertised in newspaper of general circulation in the Town by the Town Clerk.

D. The Town Clerk shall also give notice to the Chief of Police at least one week prior to the hearing.

E. The applicant shall be responsible for the cost of advertising and notice to abutters.

§ 174-5 Standards for approval.

A. The Town Council shall conduct a hearing upon each application for approval of issuance of special event licenses. The Town Clerk may grant said licenses only if the Town Council shall approve said special events upon finding that the proposed special events meet all requirements set forth in this article and that said special events will not constitute a threat to public safety, will not constitute public nuisance and will not interfere with reasonable and peaceful enjoyment of property by residents who abut, adjoin or reside in proximity to the licensed premises.

B. Upon receiving Town Council approval for the issuance of special events licenses, the liquor license holder shall at least six business days before any special event make application to the Town Clerk for the issuance of a license. Failure to submit a completed application within the time frame set forth above shall constitute grounds for the Town Clerk to deny issuance of a special events license.

Whenever an application for a license shall be made, the Chief of Police shall examine said application to determine if any police officer or officers shall be assigned to such event; thereupon, the Chief of Police shall file with the Town Clerk a statement of the necessity and number of police officers to be assigned to such event, which will become part of the licensing requirement.

The applicant shall be responsible for the cost of any police detail.

C. No special events license shall be issued to any applicant currently in arrears in any tax or assessments levied by the Town, or for use upon any premises for which any such taxes or assessments are unpaid at the time of the filing of the application.

D. The Town Council shall have the authority to take action against the special events license and the underlying liquor license, including but not limited to warnings, suspension and revocation.

§ 174-6 License fee.

The license fee for special events shall be $10 per diem.

§ 174-7 Violations and penalties.

Any person or entity that holds a special event without complying with the provisions of this article shall be fined not more than $500 for each offense. Each day of the existence of a violation shall be deemed a separate offense. Any violation of any provision of this article shall be grounds for the Town Council to take action against the underlying liquor license.