This Article is enacted under the authority
granted by N.J.S.A. 33:1-1 to 33:1-96, also known as Chapter 436 of
the Laws of 1933, as supplemented and amended. The purposes of this
Article are to render effective provisions of the Act cited, the rules
and regulations issued by the Director of the Division of Alcoholic
Beverage Control of the State of New Jersey and other applicable laws
of the State of New Jersey and the United States of America.
For the purposes of this Article, words and
phrases herein shall have the same meanings as they have in N.J.S.A.
33:1-1 to 33:1-96 and the rules and regulations of the Director of
the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
The Township Council is designated as the authority
which shall issue all licenses and otherwise administer the provisions
of this Article.
All applications for licenses shall be filed
with the Township Clerk in the form prescribed by the Director of
the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control. The application shall
be addressed to the Township Council and shall be accompanied by evidence
of payment of the federal tax stamp.
Proof of publication of a notice of an application
for a license or renewal or transfer of a license shall be in the
form prescribed by state rules and regulations and shall be filed
with the Township Clerk immediately after the second publication of
the notice.
All applications for licenses shall be referred
by the Township Clerk to the Chief of Police, who shall investigate
the character and fitness of the applicant and the premises proposed
for license and report his recommendations to the Township Council.
All licenses, except those issued by the State
Director of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control under N.J.S.A.
33:1-20, shall be granted by the Township Council, signed by the Mayor
and attested to by the Township Clerk.
The number of licenses permitted for each class
of license shall be determined according to the procedure established
by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, based on current population
figures for the Township of Lopatcong.
All licenses shall be for a term of one (1)
year from the first day of July in each year, and all fees shall be
paid in advance, upon presentation of the application. Any licensee
who voluntarily surrenders his license and who has not committed any
violation of this Article or any state law or rule or regulation and
who has paid all taxes and other charges that are due to the State
of New Jersey or to the Township of Lopatcong shall be entitled to
fifty percent (50%) of the prorated fee for the unexpired term.
Sales of alcoholic beverages shall be permitted
on election days during the same hours the licensed premises would
normally be open.
Any violation of this Article shall, upon conviction,
be punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.),
imprisonment for a term not exceeding ninety (90) days or a period
of community service not exceeding ninety (90) days, or any combination
thereof.