[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of Lancaster 10-6-1958 (Ch.
32 of the 1966 Codification). Amendments noted where applicable.]
No person, firm, corporation or association
shall operate, maintain or conduct a public information bureau or
service in the Town of Lancaster, Eric County, New York, unless a
license permitting such operation has been previously issued to such
person, firm, corporation or association upon application therefor
in writing, filed with the Town Clerk of the Town of Lancaster, and
the Town Clerk is hereby authorized to issue such license.
The fee for such license is hereby fixed at
the sum of $350 per annum, or any part thereof during which the said
license is in effect, and such license shall expire upon the first
day of January following the date of issuance thereof.
No person shall engage in soliciting business
for such public information bureau or service nor shall any person
operate as a guide therefrom or work as an employee therein unless
such person shall previously obtain a solicitor's license to be issued
upon written application therefor by the Town Clerk of the Town of
Lancaster. The license fee for such solicitor's license shall be $50
per annum or any part thereof, during which time said license is in
effect and all such licenses shall expire on the first day of January
next succeeding. Each applicant for a solicitor's license shall furnish
two recent photographs with his application, one of which shall be
attached to the license by the Town Clerk.
No license shall be issued to any person to
operate or conduct a public information bureau or information service
or to act as a guide or solicitor in connection therewith unless such
person is a citizen or resident alien of the United States and has
not been previously convicted of a crime.
No public information bureau or service shall
be conducted in the Town of Lancaster except from and within a building
erected upon premises within a "business'' district, as defined by
the Zoning Ordinance[1] of the Town of Lancaster, which building shall be at least
20 feet wide by 20 feet long by 10 feet high and in no event shall
be nearer than 20 feet from the right-of-way or the established setback
line.
No person, shall, while engaged as a guide,
solicitor or employee of any such public information bureau or service,
represent himself as an employee of the Town of Lancaster or of any
other Town or municipality, nor shall he wear any uniform, badge or
insignia so as to indicate that he is a constable, police officer,
employee or official of the Town of Lancaster or of any village, Town,
county, state or municipality.
No solicitor, guide or employee of such public
information bureau or service shall solicit business or engage in
the occupation of furnishing information to the public at any point
or place within 20 feet of the paved portion of the right-of-way.
In the event there is a nonconforming use in
the Town of Lancaster, such nonconforming use shall be declared null
and void and the persons enjoying the same shall forfeit such privilege
in the event that the business or establishment is not operated for
a period of six months.
No sign other than such sign as is permitted
by the Ordinance of the Town of Lancaster, except such signs as are
attached to a building, other ordinances of the Town notwithstanding,
shall be erected or maintained by the licensee of any public information
bureau or information service.
No person to whom a license shall have been
issued as herein provided shall in any way give any information which
may be construed, interpreted or considered to be false, misleading
or misrepresenting information concerning travel routes, business
establishments, tourist homes, hotels, tourist cabins or other tourist
accommodations, or as to their rates, facilities or service.
Any license issued under the terms and conditions
of this chapter shall not be transferable and shall be valid only
so long as the licensee shall comply with all of the provisions of
this chapter. All licenses shall be revocable at any time by the Town
Board of the Town of Lancaster after violation of any of the terms
and conditions herein set forth.
A violation of any of the foregoing provisions
of this chapter shall be construed and is hereby declared to be a
misdemeanor and shall be punishable by imprisonment for not more than
six months, or by a fine of not more than $250, or both, for each
offense or violation.
The declaration of any portion of this chapter
by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid shall not invalidate
that portion of this chapter not so declared to be invalid, and the
remainder of this chapter shall remain in full force and effect.
This chapter is to be a part of the general
ordinances of the Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York, and shall
take effect immediately.
