[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Rochelle
Park 1-22-1945 by Ord. No. 136. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Within the limits of the Township of Rochelle Park, no person, firm
or corporation shall conduct or carry on the business of the operation, storage,
maintenance or exhibition of any mechanical game of skill or entertainment
which is operated or set in motion by deposit therein of a coin, token, slug,
wafer, disk or other like article, or work in, occupy or, directly or indirectly,
in any manner whatsoever, utilize any place or premises in or at which such
business is conducted or carried on, unless and until there shall be granted
by the Township Committee, after written application therefor, in accordance
with the terms of this chapter, and shall be in force and effect, a license
to conduct said business for the place or premises in or at which said business
shall be conducted and carried on.
Said license shall be applied for in writing, signed by the applicant,
addressed to the Township Committee and filed with the Township Clerk. Such
application shall set forth the full name and address of the applicant, a
particular description of the mechanical game or games to be operated, stored,
maintained or exhibited and the location of the place and premises in or at
which the business is to be conducted or carried on. Said application shall
also be accompanied by a deposit in cash to cover the license fee for the
current year in the amount hereinafter provided.
[Amended 5-4-1981 by Ord.
No. 447; 2-27-1984 by Ord.
No. 480]
The license fee for said business and/or the place or premises in or
at which the same is to be conducted or carried on shall be the sum of $500
per location, regardless of the number of machines at that location. All licenses
shall expire on December 31 of each year.
[Amended 10-16-1978 by Ord.
No. 415; 5-5-1986 by Ord.
No. 519]
Before any license is issued hereunder, upon the filing of said application
the same shall be investigated and the premises investigated by the Chief
of Police or such person as may be designated by the Township Committee, who
shall render a report of such investigation to the Township Committee. Said
application shall be submitted to the Township Clerk, who, in addition to
the submission of the same to the Chief of Police, shall submit it to the
Fire Official. The Fire Official shall inspect the premises to determine whether
said premises comply with the existing fire regulations of the Township of
Rochelle Park. Upon completion of the inspection, the Chief of Police and
Fire Official shall attach to said application their reports thereon in writing.
[Amended 10-16-1978 by Ord.
No. 415]
Upon the receipt of such report, the Township Committee shall act upon
said application and may refuse to grant a license in any and all cases where
the Township Committee shall determine that a person who has been convicted
of a crime is interested, either directly or indirectly, in the application
for such license or in the operation of said business or the place or premises
in or at which said business is proposed to be conducted and carried on under
such license. The Township Committee shall proceed to consider said application
and either approve or disapprove the issuance of the license to the applicant.
Consideration by the Township Committee shall consist of the recommendations
of the Chief of Police and the Construction Official or any and all other
public policy considerations which it deems necessary and just to consider.
All licenses granted by the Township Committee shall be signed by the
Township Clerk and shall be impressed with the seal of the Township of Rochelle
Park and shall set forth on the face of the license the amount of the fee
paid, the name and address of the licensee, the address of the place or premises
where the business is to be conducted or carried on and the number and kind
of mechanical games or skill or entertainment to be operated, stored, maintained
or exhibited at such premises. Such license shall at all times be prominently
displayed by the licensee at the place or premises where the licensed business
is conducted or carried on.
Licenses issued hereunder shall, with the consent of the Township Committee,
be transferable from one place or premises to another; provided, however,
that any licensee desiring permission to effect such transfer shall first
make application in writing, setting forth the facts, to the Township Committee.
[Amended 10-16-1978 by Ord.
No. 415]
The Township Committee may revoke any license for sufficient cause after
notice of hearing. It shall be sufficient cause for the revocation of any
such license when such mechanical games of skill shall be used for the purpose
of gambling, wagering or betting, with or without the knowledge of the licensee
thereof.
[Added 5-4-1981 by Ord. No.
447]
Hereafter, all mechanical games which are licensed by the Township of
Rochelle Park must be located in a room which shall constitute the main room
or main area of the licensed premises and said games shall not be located
in a separate and distinct room on the premises. In addition, henceforth,
all applications for a license for a mechanical game shall also contain a
sketch or drawing by the applicant showing the exact location of the game
or games on the premises and shall also show the location of all other permanent
fixtures on the premises and shall also show all entrances and exits to the
licensed premises, and upon the granting of a license, the mechanical game
shall not be located at a different location from that shown on the sketch
without the prior written approval or authorization of the Township Committee
of the Township of Rochelle Park. A violation of this provision of the chapter
shall also constitute sufficient reason or cause for the revocation of such
license by the governing body of the Township of Rochelle Park.
[Added 5-4-1981 by Ord. No.
447]
All applications for renewal of a license must be filed with the Township
Clerk no later than January 1 of each year, and failure to comply with this
provision shall cause the existing license to expire and terminate, in which
event the mechanical games on the premises will be impounded by the Police
Department and will be removed from the premises and stored and said removal
and storage shall be at the cost and expense of the applicant, and in the
event the mechanical game is not reclaimed within 30 days, the Police Department
is authorized to sell the mechanical game at a public auction.
[Added 10-16-1978 by Ord.
No. 415]
No more than five mechanical games as hereinabove described in this
chapter shall be licensed for operation on or at any one business premises.
[Amended 5-5-1986 by Ord.
No. 519]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any term or provision
of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to imprisonment
in the county jail or in any place provided by the Township of Rochelle Park
for the detention of prisoners, for a term not exceeding 90 days, or to a
fine not exceeding $500, or both. Any person so convicted may, in the discretion
of the Judge by whom he was convicted, in default of the payment of any fine,
be imprisoned in the county jail or place of detention provided by the Township
of Rochelle Park for any term not exceeding 90 days. Each day that a violation
of a term or provision of this chapter shall continue shall constitute a separate
offense.
