[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Charlestown 4-12-2010 by Ord. No. 324.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Public hearings — See Ch. 51.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 147, Licenses and Permits, comprised of Art. I, General Regulations, adopted 8-14-1979 as Art. I of Ch. 6 of the Code of Ordinances, as amended; and Art. II, General Business Licenses, adopted 7-10-1989 by Ord. No. 172, as amended.
A. 
No license or permit which the Town Council or the Town Clerk is empowered to grant shall be issued or renewed to any person that is currently in arrears in any tax or other assessment levied by the town or in any case where any such tax or assessment levied by the town is due and in arrears on any property used, or to be used, in connection with the business operation to which any such license is applicable.
A. 
No person shall operate any businesses within the town without obtaining an annual license authorizing such activity from the Town Clerk and paying the license fee indicated in town ordinance or state law.
B. 
All licenses granted under the provisions of this section shall be granted subject to the condition that the licensed premises shall be kept open to the inspection of the Chief of Police and the Town Council at all times during the business hours and subject to the provisions of the Charlestown Code of Ordinances and Rhode Island General Laws and also subject to such rules and regulations as the Town Council may from time to time promulgate with reference to such licensed premises.
A. 
All new licenses issued shall terminate on the first day of December (December 1) except those specifically covered in individual ordinances.
A. 
No place of business for the sale of goods, wares or merchandise, except licensed victualing houses or for the sale of medicine by a registered pharmacist, shall be kept open between 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. unless approval has been obtained by the Town Council.
(1) 
Businesses holding a Class A license shall not open before 7:00 a.m. and shall not close later than 12:00 midnight.
(2) 
Businesses holding a Class B license shall not open before 6:00 a.m. and shall not close later than 1:00 a.m.
(3) 
Businesses holding a Class D license shall not open before 6:00 a.m. and shall close not later than 1:00 a.m.
(4) 
All other Victualing houses not listed above shall not be kept open between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. unless approval has been obtained by the Town Council.
B. 
Every keeper of a place of business which shall be open or kept open contrary to the provisions of this section, and every person opening or keeping open any such place of business contrary to the provisions of this section, shall be fined not more than twenty dollars ($20.00) per day.
[State law references: Authority of town council to set hours of operation of taverns, victualing houses, etc., G.L. 1956, § 5-24-1]
The Town Clerk is allowed to issue new and renewal licenses (exceptions listed below), on behalf of the Town Council, which do not require advertisement or notice, so long as the prior approval of the proper authorities: Building Official, Tax Collector, Police Chief, Fire Marshal, RI Department of Health, RI Division of Taxation and any other local or state department are in place. Such allowance shall be given in the form of a Resolution and will remain in effect unless revoked.
The following applications shall be put before the Town Council and shall not be issued by the Town Clerk until approved by the Town Council: Entertainment, Liquor, Hawker/Peddler and any other application requiring advertisement or notice.
Mindful of the importance of locating and being aware of businesses and other profit making enterprises conducted in the Town of Charlestown and in order to provide for the general welfare and safety of the citizens of the Town of Charlestown, in that concern for zoning, police protection, fire protection and other services depend on knowledge of the needs of certain areas and locations, the Town Council of the Town of Charlestown proposes as follows:
A. 
All wholesale, retail, commercial, professional service or manufacturing businesses whether by sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations or any business entity shall register their business, company, trade or office situated in the Town of Charlestown with the town clerk. Each registration shall contain the name of the firm or business, the owner(s) or operator(s) of the firm or business, the type of business to be conducted and other basic information.
B. 
There shall be a ten dollar ($10.00) fee for each registration. The registration fee may be altered by ordinance amendment by the Town Council.
[Amended 2-9-2015 by Ord. No. 368]
C. 
Upon registration of a business, a registration certificate shall be issued to the registrant by the Town Clerk. Every registration certificate shall expire the first day in December and shall be renewed annually upon payment of the required fee. No certificate shall be renewed if the business fails to provide proof from the tax collector that all municipal taxes have been paid to date. Every certificate of registration shall be placed in a conspicuous location in each business establishment.
D. 
Any business obtaining a liquor, victualing or any other license to operate under any other section of the Charlestown Code of Ordinances shall be exempt from the requirement of this ordinance provision.
[Amended 2-9-2015 by Ord. No. 368]
E. 
Any person, legal entity, and/or association, whether as principal, agent, employee, or otherwise, who violates any provision of this chapter, shall be fined not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per day for each offense. Any fine imposed under this ordinance may be enforced as an ordinance violation in the Charlestown Municipal Court or the District Court, at the discretion of the Town. The fines shall inure to the town and each day that the violation continues shall be deemed to constitute a separate offense.
[Amended 2-9-2015 by Ord. No. 368]