[Ord. of 4-21-1998(4);[1] amended 9-1-2009 by Ord. No. 2009.42]
The purpose of this chapter is:
(1) 
To protect the public health, welfare and safety of the general public, and to assure public confidence in the sale of food, food stuff, and food products by local merchants; as well as to the sale of wares and other products for sale; and to regulate the rendering of services to the general public.
(2) 
To establish a procedure for the licensing and issuance of permits for those businesses that are required to be licensed.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 22, which contained provisions on businesses, and was adopted as portions of Ch. 13 of the 1975 Code, as amended.
[Ord. of 4-21-1998(4); Ord. No. 2003.45, 4-1-2003; amended 9-1-2009 by Ord. No. 2009.42]
Words used in this chapter shall have their common meanings except that, as used in this chapter or in chapters related to this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth in this section, unless the particular licensing provision, or the context in which the term appears, clearly establishes that a different meaning was intended:
ADULT AREA
An area in a business establishment clearly marked and posted by the business establishment as an adult area where there are contained photographs, covers of magazines, newspapers, periodicals or other printed matter which is offensive to children and may be offensive to adults unwilling to view such materials.
ADULT BUSINESS
A business, a substantial or significant portion of which consists of selling, renting, leasing, exhibiting, displaying or otherwise dealing in materials or devices of any kind which appeal to prurient interests and which depict or describe specified sexual activities.
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
A business, a substantial or significant portion of which consists of selling, renting, leasing, displaying, or exhibiting live participants or otherwise dealing in materials or devices of any kind which appeal to prurient interests and which depict or describe specified sexual activities.
ADULT READING MATERIAL
A magazine, newspaper, periodical or other printed matter which is labeled "for adults only."[1]
ANTIQUE DEALER
Any individual, group of individuals or entity engaged in dealing (purchasing, selling or exchanging / bartering) so-called "antiques" that are defined as a relic or object of ancient times; a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period, to include but not limited to, furniture, glassware, photographs and art work, jewelry, including but not limited to watches, rings, earrings, brooches, hairpins, stick pins, tie clasp, clothing and footwear; architectural features and attachments from homes and other buildings, including but not limited to mirrors, shutters, brackets, mantels, windows and doors; automobiles, motorcycles, motor scooters, motor-driven cycles and any other motorized means of transportation that are deemed to be antiques and in the case of automobiles are twenty-five or more years old, provided that the antique dealer does not hold a new or used car dealer license; tools, including but not limited to, saws, hammers, measures, chisels, clamps and toolboxes; toys and games as well as any and all other items from an earlier period.
[Added 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
BONA FIDE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Means and includes a bona fide nonprofit, charitable, educational, political, civic, recreational, patriotic or religious organization which is organized under the provisions of 13 M.R.S.A. § 901, or 13-B M.R.S.A. § 201, or which is recognized as such by the Internal Revenue Service under 26 U.S.C.A. § 501 (C) (3).
BOTTLE CLUB
Persons operating, on a regular, profit or nonprofit basis, facilities for social activities in which members or guests provide their own liquor, where no liquor is sold on the bottle club premises, which maintain suitable facilities for the use of members on a regular basis or charge an admission fee to members or the general public and where members, guests or others are regularly permitted to consume liquor.
CONCESSION STAND, SNACK KIOSK or SNACK BAR
A place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Food sold at concession stands is typically foods such as: french fries, ice cream, popcorn, pizza, hot dogs, soft drinks, candy, snow cones, cotton candy, pretzels, and potato chips.
[Added 4-6-2010 by Ord. No. 2010.27]
DISQUALIFYING CRIME or CRIMINAL CONVICTION
(1) 
Conviction under any of the crimes set out at the following provisions of the state criminal code, or refers to the crimes set out at the following provisions of the criminal code:
a. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 9 (Offenses Against the Person).
b. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 11 (Sex Offenses).
c. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 19 (Falsification in Official Matters).
d. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 23 (Offenses Against the Family).
e. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 35 (Prostitution and Public Indecency).
f. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 37 (Fraud).
g. 
17-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 45 (Drugs).
h. 
Any crime defined or classified as a Class B or A crime.
(2) 
This also includes any prior activity which is found to demonstrate a lack of good moral character.
EXPOSE or EXPOSED
Unclothed or uncostumed or not covered by a fully opaque material.
FLEA MARKET
Means and includes any individual, group of four or more unrelated individuals or entity selling tangible used or secondhand personal property or collectors' items to the public at a location, indoors or outside.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
FLEA MARKET DEALER
Means and includes any single person or entity that is engaged in selling goods at a flea market.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
GOODS
Includes wares, merchandise, food and other items intended to be sold at retail.
ICE CREAM TRUCK
A commercial vehicle which serves as a traveling retail outlet for the sale of ice cream and similar products to the public, usually during the summer.
[Added 2-1-2011 by Ord. No. 2011.3]
JUNK
Means and includes old iron, steel, chain, aluminum, brass, copper, tin, lead, or other base metals, belting, wastepaper, old rope, old bags, bagging, barrels, piping, rubber, glass, empty bottles and jugs of all kinds and quantities, and all other articles discarded or no longer used as manufactured articles composed of any one or more of the materials hereinbefore mentioned and of monetary value, and having no other useful purpose.
[Added 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
JUNK COLLECTOR
Means and includes any person acting alone, or as a group or entity operating at a business location in the City of Biddeford, or traveling to and from place to place within the City of Biddeford for the purpose of collecting or purchasing junk, or collecting junk from persons and/or businesses who desire to dispose of it, or traveling from place to place within the City of Biddeford for the purpose of purchasing junk, or making a business of purchasing junk from a person who carries it away after purchase.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
JUNK DEALER
Means and includes any person, group of persons, or entity engaged in the purchase, sale or bartering of/for items, including but not limited to, old iron, steel, chain, aluminum, brass, copper, tin, lead, or other base metals, including scraps from the manufacture of those items; belting, wastepaper, old rope, old bags, bagging, barrels, piping, rubber, glass, empty bottles and jugs of all kinds and quantities, and all other articles discarded or no longer used as manufactured articles composed of any one or more of the materials hereinbefore mentioned and of monetary value, but having no other useful purpose.
[Amended 4-19-2011 by Ord. No. 2011.14; 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENT or THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENTS
Used interchangeably to mean any business, including but not limited to a sole proprietorship, in which the business operations consist of providing or making available massage in the City for consideration or with the expectation of receiving consideration or any gratuity, whether or not the business has a fixed place of business within the City limits.
MASSAGE THERAPIST OR PRACTITIONER
A person who provides or offers to provide massage therapy for a fee, monetary or otherwise. This definition includes the use of different forms of the term "massage therapist" or "massage practitioner," such as "masseuse" or "masseur."
MASSAGE THERAPY
A scientific or skillful manipulation of soft tissue for therapeutic or remedial purposes, specifically for improving muscle tone and circulation and promoting health and physical well-being. The term includes, but is not limited to, manual and mechanical procedures for the purpose of treating soft tissue only, the use of supplementary aids such as rubbing alcohol, liniments, oils, antiseptics, powders, herbal preparations, creams or lotions, procedures such as oil rubs, salt glows and hot or cold packs or other similar procedures or preparations commonly used in this practice. This term specifically excludes manipulation of the spine or articulations and excludes sexual contact as defined in 17-A M.R.S.A. § 251, Subsection 1D.
OFFICER
Any officer, director, stockholder, owner, manager or person who either has a financial interest of any nature in a bottle club or directs any policy of a bottle club.
ORGANIZATION
A corporation, partnership or unincorporated association.
PAWNBROKER
Means and includes any person or group of persons acting individually or as a group or entity whose business or occupation is to take or receive, by way of pledges, pawn, or exchange/barter, any goods, wares, or merchandise, or any kind of personal property whatsoever, as security for the repayment of money loaned thereon at a stipulated rate of interest or at a stipulated amount of repayment; any person whose business or occupation is to purchase any such property on condition of selling the same back again to the seller thereof or his assignee at a stipulated price; provided, however, that this definition shall not apply to banking institutions, brokerage houses, members of the stock exchanges, or persons who make loans exclusively upon stocks, bonds, bills of lading, warehouse receipts, mortgages, contracts, commercial paper, or other written or printed evidence of ownership of property or of indebtedness to the holder or owner of any such security.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
PERMANENT PLACE OF BUSINESS
Any building or other permanently affixed structure, including a home residence, which is owned or held under a twelve-month lease or rental agreement at the time business is commenced, and is used in whole or in part for the purpose of engaging in the sale of secondhand goods.
PERSON
A human being or a firm, business, corporation, or an organization.
PERSON AGGRIEVED
Means and includes any person whose license is suspended or revoked or whose license application is denied by the Clerk or any other administrative official charged with responsibility for the granting or supervision of any license.
PRINCIPAL OFFICERS
Means and includes the applicant and any officer, director, partner, owner, manager, or person who either has an actual ownership interest in the entity or directs any policy of the entity.
RECOGNIZED SCHOOL (MASSAGE)
Any school or institution of learning which has for its purpose the teaching of the theory, method, profession and work of massage therapy and is recognized or certified by Maine or any other state. Schools offering a correspondence course not requiring actual attendance of class shall not be deemed a recognized school.
RESTAURANT
A public place kept, used, maintained, advertised, and held out to the public as a place where meals are served, without sleeping accommodations, such space being provided with adequate and sanitary kitchen and dining room equipment and capacity and having employed therein a sufficient number and kind of employees to prepare, cook, and serve suitable food for its guests; provided, further, that no restaurant licensed as such shall sell alcoholic beverages except when meals are available.
SALESPERSON, WAITER, WAITRESS, ENTERTAINER
A person shall be deemed a salesperson, waiter, waitress or entertainer if such person acts in that capacity without regard to whether or not such person is paid any compensation by the management of the establishment in which the activity is performed.
SECONDHAND DEALER
Any person, group of individuals or entity predominantly engaged in the business of dealing in, by purchasing, selling, exchanging or bartering, used or otherwise secondhand articles, including but not limited to computer hardware and other electronic equipment, firearms, watches, diamonds or any other precious stones, gold, silver, platinum or other precious metals, and jewelry; also includes used motor vehicles, motorized equipment, boats, motorcycles, motor scooters, motor-driven cycles, aircraft, construction equipment and any other similar items if the dealer does not hold a valid State of Maine license or permit to deal in those specific items.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33; 4-2-2013 by Ord. No. 2013.19]
TRANSIENT SELLER OF SECONDHAND GOODS
Any person who engages in the business of selling, but not purchasing, secondhand merchandise and who does not have for the purpose of carrying on such business any permanent place of business within the City. Such term does not include persons who sell at public fairs or expositions or members selling on behalf of public service organizations.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
VENDOR ON A PUBLIC PLACE
A person who sells or vends wares, goods or services in a public place from a movable conveyance or temporary structure or other enclosure.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
VICTUALER
A person who serves food or drink prepared on site for consumption by the public.
WAYS
Any municipally controlled way or public easement as defined in 23 M.R.S.A. §3021, and includes sidewalks along such ways and public easements.
[Amended 5-1-2012 by Ord. No. 2012.33]
[1]
Editor's Note: The definition of "automobile graveyard," which immediately followed this definition, was repealed 4-19-2011 by Ord. No. 2011.14.
[Added 9-1-2009 by Ord. No. 2009.42]
(a) 
No person shall engage in, operate any business or activity, or use or permit the use of any device for which one or more licenses are required by this chapter or permit others operating under such licenses to act, without having obtained such and every such license required therein and shall not operate or use such license or device during any time that the applicable license has been suspended or after revocation as provided herein.
(b) 
A license may be issued pending receipt of the criminal history report from the State Bureau of Identification for pawnbrokers, junk dealers, secondhand dealers and flea markets, and taxi cab drivers as defined herein, provided that the City Clerk has received all other documentation required for the issuance of such license and a copy of the applicant's criminal history record for the Biddeford Police Department, which criminal history record does not contain a disqualifying criminal conviction. If, after issuance of the license, the City Clerk receives a criminal history report from the State Bureau of Identification that contains disqualifying information, the City Clerk shall immediately move to suspend or revoke the license in accordance with this Code.
(c) 
Any person engaged in or operating any business or activity, or who uses or permits the use of any device for which a license is required, shall procure a license for each and every such business activity, device or location of each activity or device unless this Code specifically provides to the contrary.
(d) 
Every license shall be displayed in a conspicuous place on the premises, device or vehicle at all times that the premises, device or vehicle is open to the public.