[Adopted 12-19-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-16]
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to maintain an office or place of business that conducts, engages in or carries on any business, trade or occupation within the Township of Mount Laurel, County of Burlington, as defined in § 95A-5 Section 5 hereof, without first complying with the provisions of this chapter and obtaining a license for same as provided herein.
A.
Applications for all registrations required by this chapter shall
be made in writing to the Township Clerk, who shall serve as the licensing
officer. Each application shall contain the following information:
(1)
The name of the applicant; if a corporation or partnership, the name
and address of the contact person for the business.
(2)
The name under which the business is to be conducted.
(3)
The address at which the business is to be conducted.
(4)
The specific nature of the business.
(5)
Whether or not the applicant has ever had a license to conduct the
business herein described denied or revoked. If such license has been
denied, the applicant shall set forth in detail the facts leading
to such denial.
(6)
The business telephone number of the applicant.
(7)
The emergency contact information for the business.
B.
Prior to the issuance of a license, the Township Clerk, in the Clerk's
discretion, shall have the authority to cause a routine police check
to be made of the applicant to verify the validity of the information
above described.
When submitting the information described in the preceding section,
the applicant shall certify that such information is supplied to the
Township of Mount Laurel with full understanding that the Township
shall rely upon the accuracy of the facts set forth therein in granting
the business license. By its submission for a business license, the
applicant further agrees to comply with all laws and ordinances of
the Township of Mount Laurel applicable to the operation of said business.
The Township Clerk is hereby authorized to prepare the required
application form to be utilized for the purposes of this chapter.
Any person, firm or corporation engaged in a business or occupation
with a physical office, store or other location within any of the
nonresidential zones in the Township shall be subject to the requirement
to obtain a business license pursuant to this chapter. Businesses
operated in a residential zone pursuant to a variance or other formal
municipal approval shall also be required to obtain the business license
herein.
All licenses shall terminate on the 31st day of December of
each year.
All fees and charges for business licenses as set forth in the
within chapter shall be paid in advance at the time of application
to the Township Clerk. When an applicant has not engaged in business
until after the expiration of part of the current license year, the
license fee shall be prorated by quarters, and the fee shall be paid
for each quarter or fraction thereof during which the business has
been or will be conducted.
The person, form or corporation conducting the business licensed
under the provisions of the within chapter shall display the license
issued hereunder at the principal place of business in a conspicuous
place.
Any person, firm or corporation receiving a license pursuant
to the within chapter shall notify the Township Clerk within 10 days
after a change in location of any licensed business.
All businesses, trades and activities conducted with the Township
of Mount Laurel regulated by the within chapter shall pay a license
fee of $35 for each year in which said business is operated.
The Township Clerk shall have the right to revoke any license
whenever the holder of the license, agents or servants violate any
provision of this chapter, the laws of the State of New Jersey or
any rules or regulations promulgated as herein provided. After written
notice of the revocation has been served upon the licensee, an appeal
may be filed to the Mount Laurel Council within 10 days of service
of said notice. Township Council shall thereupon conduct a hearing
of the matter within 60 days after receipt of the notice of appeal
and shall render a decision within 30 days of such hearing.
The Township Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to enforce
the terms and conditions of this chapter and shall have the authority
to delegate such enforcement power to other employees of the Township
of Mount Laurel and/or the State of New Jersey.
It shall be a condition of the issuance of any and all licenses
under the provision of this chapter that said business shall be used
and operated only for lawful purposes and not in violation of the
Zoning Ordinance[1] or other ordinances of the Township of Mount Laurel.
Any person, firm, association or corporation violating any section
of this chapter shall, upon conviction in the Municipal Court, be
subject to a fine not exceeding $500.
