It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership or corporation to conduct, engage in or carry on any industry, business, trade, occupation or similar activity within the City of South Amboy, without first complying with the provisions of this Article and obtaining a license as is herein provided. For the purposes of this Article, any person shall be deemed to be engaged in a business and subject to the provisions of this Article when he sells any goods or services from a place of business principally located within the City of South Amboy.
[1]
Editor's Note: N.J.S.A 40:52-1, Power to License, provides statutory authority to license.
[Amended 11-21-2022 by Ord. No. 17-2022]
Application forms for all licenses shall be obtained from, filed with and kept on file by the City Clerk. The term of the license shall be for a period of one year with all licenses commencing on January 1 and expiring on December 31. If the applicant certifies, at the time of renewal of the license, that the information contained on the original application is unchanged, he need not fill out a new application. If any of the information contained on the original application is changed, the applicant must advise the City Clerk in writing of the change in information. Licenses are not transferable to another location or another person not contained in the original application.
All licenses in good standing on June 30, 2023 shall not expire by virtue of this section until December 31, 2023, and the renewal date for all such licenses shall be January 1, 2024.
A. 
The license fee is to be paid at the time the application is filed with the Clerk of the City of South Amboy. The license fee shall be $50 per year. (Ord. No. 12-1998; Ord. No. 5-2009)
B. 
If a city-affiliated organization, such as a volunteer fire department or a rescue squad, sponsors a special event of five days or less, and which event includes participants otherwise subject to this Article, the sponsoring organization may apply to the governing body for a waiver of the individual license fees and the setting of a single payment in lieu of license fees. The payment in lieu of license fees shall be collected by the city-affiliated organization and paid to the City Clerk upon the submission of applicable license applications.
Upon receipt of an application for a license, the City Clerk shall refer such application to the proper officer for making an investigation or inspection. Said officer shall make a report thereon, favorable or otherwise, within 20 days after the application was filed with the City Clerk. Officers shall make investigations and report to the City Clerk.
Each license issued shall bear the signature of the City Clerk.
All licenses shall terminate when the licensee ceases operating at the premises where the business was located at the time of the application, subject, however, to the provision of Section 88-16.1 hereinafter set forth.
No license shall be issued for the conduct of any business, and no permit shall be issued for any thing or act, if the premises and building to be used for the purpose do not fully comply with the laws of the City of South Amboy, County of Middlesex and State of New Jersey or federal government.
The location of any licensed business or occupation or of any other permitted act may be changed upon application to the Clerk. Said application shall be considered a new application for the purpose of complying with the requirements of this Article.
Whenever inspections are required by ordinance, or are reasonably necessary to secure compliance with any ordinance provisions or to detect violations thereof, it shall be the duty of the licensee or the person in charge of the premises to be inspected to admit thereto, for the purpose of making the inspection, any officer or employee of the City who is authorized or directed to make such inspection at any reasonable time.
The City Clerk of the City of South Amboy shall have the right to revoke any license, refuse to renew any license or refuse to issue a new license whenever a holder thereof, an applicant or any of the licensee's agents or servants violate any provision of this Article, the laws of the County of Middlesex, the laws of the State of New Jersey or any rules or regulations promulgated as herein provided. Prior to the revocation, refusal to renew or refusal to issue a new license, a notice of the contemplated action of the City Clerk shall be served upon said licensee, setting forth such charges or reasons for said proposed action and the place, date and hour when the City Council of the City of South Amboy will hear the matter. The licensee may be represented by counsel at such hearing. If the licensee is a corporation, it shall be represented by an attorney at law of the State of New Jersey.
Licenses issued under this Article shall be posted at the place of business shown on said license in a conspicuous place. Said license shall remain posted for the duration of the licensing years when issued and so long as the licensed business is in operation.
The proper enforcement of the provisions of this Article, dealing with mercantile licenses, shall be within the jurisdiction of the Police Department of this City and additionally within the jurisdiction of those officers charged with providing the necessary inspections and regulations.
Any person violating any section of this Article shall, upon conviction in the municipal court having jurisdiction, be subject to a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment in the county jail or in any place provided by the municipality for the detention of prisoners for any term not exceeding 90 days, or both.