[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Fenwick
Island 5-28-1977 by Ord. No. 17; amended in its entirety 8-24-2012. Subsequent
amendments noted where applicable.]
No person shall operate, maintain or otherwise engage in any business, occupation or activity designated hereafter in this chapter without first obtaining a license from the Town. Licenses shall be issued only to allowable businesses, occupations or activities set forth in Chapter 160, Zoning and licensees shall pay the Town an annual fee as set by resolution of the Town Council from time to time.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A building or part thereof, or each motor vehicle, or each
stand, at or from which any merchandise or commodities are dispensed
or facilities or services are provided to members of the general public.
Includes firms, companies, corporations, partnerships, associations,
as well as individuals.
The license year shall begin January 1 and end December 31 of
each calendar year.
Annual licenses must be obtained prior to opening, starting
or continuing any business, occupation or activity as described in
this chapter for any license year.
All licenses issued under this chapter shall be posted in a
public place in the establishment, at the place of business for which
it is issued, or, as the case may be, shall be carried on the person
of the licensee.
The Town shall prescribe the form of the establishment license
certificate and vending and/or music machine license certificate to
be issued to applicants and keep full and complete records of all
licenses issued and the expiration dates thereof and the license fee
charged.
Whenever the Town Manager is unable to determine the class and
fee for a license application, the Town Manager shall refer the application
to the Town Council for disposition.
A.
Any person engaged, for profit, in selling any and all merchandise
and/or given commodities and/or in providing facilities, services,
rental units and/or food service within the Town at or from any given
establishment as follows, including but not limited to, shall pay
a fee as set by resolution of the Town Council from time to time:
(1)
Each establishment used as a restaurant or eating establishment or
carry-out food establishment.
(2)
Each establishment used for real estate sales or rentals.
(3)
Each establishment for sale of any merchandise and/or commodities
and/or combination thereof.
(4)
Each establishment used as a bank or lending institution.
(5)
Each concession that operates in Town and/or on the beach.
B.
Any person within the Town engaged for profit in providing services
for use or entertainment as follows shall pay the Town a fee as set
by resolution of the Town Council from time to time:
C.
Any person engaged for profit in renting motel/hotel rooms or suites
of rooms, single-family dwellings, townhouses, apartments or any real
property, or portion thereof, within the Town shall pay an annual
license fee as set by resolution of the Town Council from time to
time.
D.
Each establishment offering for public use the following shall pay
a fee as set by resolution of the Town Council from time to time:
(1)
Vending machines/dispensing machines, subject to the conditions that
all vending machines shall be permitted as a part of licensed establishments
only and shall be operated by and under the control of the establishment
licensee. All vending machines shall be located within buildings of
licensed establishments or, if located outside such buildings, shall
not project beyond the front building line or into the side or rear
yards, and must be located not more than one foot from the exterior
wall of such buildings.
(2)
Music machines operated by depositing money, slug or similar medium
in the machine, subject to the conditions that all music machines
shall be permitted as a part of licensed establishments only and shall
be operated by and under the control of the establishment licensee,
and all music machines shall be allowed only inside totally enclosed
buildings of licensed establishments, and during operation of such
machines all windows and doors shall be kept closed so that the sound
cannot be heard outside the buildings.
(3)
In order to preserve the peace and good order of the Town and the
health, welfare and safety of the people of the Town, coin-operated
amusement machines in a single commercial establishment or any form
of game machine, instrument or apparatus not prohibited under the
law of the State of Delaware shall be permitted as a part of licensed
establishments only and shall be operated under the control of the
establishment licensee, shall be incidental and subordinate to the
main business of the establishment for which the establishment is
licensed, and all such machines shall be allowed only inside totally
enclosed buildings of licensed establishments, and the number of such
machines shall be limited to three such machines per licensed establishment.
(4)
Children's riding amusements shall be permitted in a single
commercial establishment only. They shall be permitted as a part of
the licensed establishment and shall be operated under the control
of the establishment licensee, shall be incidental and subordinate
to the main business of the establishment for which the establishment
is licensed. The number of such shall be limited to one per licensed
establishment. The children's riding amusements are limited to
small electrically operated devices built for a maximum of four children.
Such devices may include a riding horse, stagecoach or a rocket, but
do not include the multi-child rides customarily located in an amusement
park.
E.
All of the above license fees in this subsection shall be in addition
to any establishment license fees. Any person engaged for profit in
providing services within the Town, which services provided in the
Town of Fenwick Island and elsewhere gross $1,500 or less annually
shall not pay an annual fee to the Town as set by resolution of the
Town Council from time to time:
F.
Persons engaged in the delivery only of unmetered commodities and/or
material, as well as persons engaged in providing at the properties
of the property owners of the Town professional services, including
and limited to health services and land-surveying services for which
the State of Delaware requires certification and a license, shall
not be required to obtain a Town license.
[1]
Editor's Note: The fees resolution is on file in the
Town offices.
A.
Applications for establishment licenses shall be addressed to the
Town in writing, verified by oath or affirmation signed by the applicant.
Each applicant shall give the following information:
(1)
The home or business address of the applicant.
(2)
If the applicant is a partnership, the names and addresses of the
individuals composing the partnership.
(3)
If the applicant is a corporation, the names and addresses of the
principal officers of the corporation.
(4)
A full description of the nature of the business or enterprise for
which the license is required.
(5)
A plot plan of the premises if the license fee is determined by the
square footage, together with the calculation of the area.
(6)
A statement that the applicant has complied with all laws and ordinances
of the Town of Fenwick Island and that all taxes and assessments due
the Town of Fenwick Island upon the property which the licensee will
operate, if any, are paid.
(7)
Authorization for the Town, its agents and employees to seek information
and conduct an investigation into the truth of the statements set
forth in the application and the qualifications of the applicant for
the license.
(8)
Written declaration by the applicant, under penalty of perjury, that
the information contained in the application is true and correct,
with said application being duly dated and signed in the Town.
(9)
In the case of a license application for vending, music or amusement
machines, an itemized list of all machines to be licensed and the
name of the licensed establishment where the machines are to be used.
(10)
In the case of an application by a property owner for a business
license to rent a single-family dwelling, townhouse, or apartment,
and in the case of an application by a realtor for a business license,
a statement that the applicant will inform all prospective tenants
of the maximum overnight occupancy for each dwelling, townhouse, or
apartment, such maximum not to exceed 12 persons, and that the applicant
will assure compliance with such maximum occupancy. Prior to the issuance
of a license, each property owner must also complete any and all application
forms required by the Town, including, but not limited to, the declaration
of property status for rental and non-rental property owners form.
(a)
Property owners who provide the Town, by December 31, 2001,
satisfactory written documentation that they offered and contracted,
prior to June 22, 2001, to rent their single-family dwelling during
the calendar year 2001 with a specific overnight maximum occupancy
of more than 12 persons will be allowed to continue such practice
for a period of up to two years starting January 1, 2002.
No license shall be issued under this chapter to be used upon
the premises upon which any taxes or assessment due the Town of Fenwick
Island are due but not paid.
It shall be a condition to the issuance of any and all licenses
under this chapter that the business, occupation or activity licensed
shall be used and operated only for lawful purposes. The right of
the Town Council of Fenwick Island, Delaware, in its discretion, to
refuse to grant any license and to revoke any license previously granted
is hereby specifically reserved.
A.
Upon the receipt of an application completed in good order, the Town
Manager shall examine such application and shall ascertain by such
examination whether the activities indicated and described are in
accordance with the requirements of this chapter and all other pertinent
laws and ordinances.
B.
If the Town Manager is satisfied that the activities described in
the application for license and the information filed therewith conform
to the requirements of this chapter and other pertinent laws and ordinances,
the Town Manager shall issue a license to the applicant.
C.
If the application for a license describes an activity or contains
information which does not conform to the requirements of this chapter
or other pertinent laws or ordinances, the Town Manager shall not
issue a license, but shall return the application to the applicant
with his refusal to issue such license. Such refusal shall, when requested,
be in writing and shall contain the reasons therefor.
No license fee shall be charged for a license issued to a charitable
or public service institution, association, club or body not organized
and conducted for private gain, nor shall the Town be charged for
licenses.
A.
Any license issued pursuant to this chapter shall be subject to suspension
or revocation by the Town Manager for violation of any provision of
this chapter or for any grounds that would warrant the denial or issuance
of such license in the first place. The Town Manager, upon revocation
or suspension, shall state his reasons in writing and specify the
particular grounds for such revocation or suspension.
B.
In the case of a rental license issued to a single-family residential property owner, such license may be revoked if there have been three or more cases during a calendar year of violations of either § 100-9A(10) of this chapter (overnight occupancy by more than 12 persons) or § 107-2A of Chapter 107 (noise disturbance). Oral and written notice of each such violation will be given to the licensed property owner and his/her realtor. Such license revocation may be immediate or deferred to the entire rental season for the following year, or both.
C.
In the case of a mercantile license for a realtor, which license includes the renting of single-family residential properties on behalf of property owners, an application for such a license to rent in a given calendar year will be denied if, in the previous calendar year, the licenses for three or more rental properties under a realtor's management were revoked according to the conditions specified in Subsection B above.
Whoever shall violate any provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine of $200. Each day that a business, occupation or activity is carried on, prosecuted, conducted or engaged in without a proper license having been obtained pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to be a separate offense. In accordance with § 100-9A(10), each property owner must also complete any and all application forms required by the Town, including, but not limited to, obtaining a Town rental license and submitting the declaration of property status for rental and non-rental property owners form. A violation of the rental licensing provisions of the Town's Code shall result in a fine of $200 for each day that the violation exists.
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Town Manager may,
within 15 days, take a written notice of appeal to the Town Manager.
Upon payment of a fee as set by resolution of the Town Council, the
Town Manager shall forward the appeal and all paperwork to the Secretary
of Town Council who shall set a date, time and place of the hearing
of the appeal no more than 15 days from the receipt of the appeal.
Notice of the appeal shall be sent to the appellant and published
in a newspaper of local circulation at least seven days prior to the
scheduled hearing.
