[Adopted 11-6-1963 by Ord. No. 916]
For the purposes of this article the words "pool"
or "billiard hall" or "parlor" and the words "licensed premises" shall
mean any place of public assemblage in which the games commonly known
as pool or billiards or games of a similar nature are played.
[Amended 5-20-1992 by Ord. No. 1981; 6-15-1994 by Ord. No.
48/94; 6-16-2010 by Ord. No. 13/10]
No person, firm or corporation shall have any
pool or billiard table on its premises nor shall any person, firm
or corporation operate or conduct a pool or billiard hall or parlor
unless the same shall contain no fewer than 10 separate pool or billiard
tables or combination of each type. A person, firm or entity which
seeks to operate a pool or billiard hall with not fewer than 10 separate
pool or billiard tables shall first obtain a license from the Town
of West New York so to do, upon payment to the town of an annual license
fee of $250 for each pool or billiard table contained in the premises.
Such license shall expire on January 31 of each year and must be renewed
on February 1 of each year upon payment of a license renewal fee of
$75 per pool or billiard table.
Applications for licenses shall be filed with
the Licensing Department of the Town of West New York, setting forth
the following information:
A. The name, address, age and occupation of the applicant.
B. Whether or not the applicant has ever been convicted
of a crime or violation of a municipal ordinance involving gambling.
C. The address and exact location of the premises sought
to be licensed, together with a sketch indicating the exact dimensions
and layout of the proposed licensed area.
D. Whether the applicant is owner or lessee of the premises.
E. The number of pool tables or billiard tables to be
operated on the premises.
F. In the event the applicant is a corporation or partnership,
the application shall set forth the names and addresses of all persons
interested in the application, the extent of the interest of each
person, the officers and stockholders of the corporation, and whether
or not any of such persons has ever been convicted of a crime or violation
of a municipal ordinance involving gambling.
A. All such applications shall be accompanied by the
appropriate license fee as hereinabove set forth, together with a
set of fingerprints of any person to be employed on the premises or
having an interest therein, whether as owner, lessee, operator, manager
or in any other capacity, however employed. In the event that such
application shall be made by a corporation or partnership, said fingerprints
shall be submitted by each partner, officer and director, thereof.
Such application shall be submitted to grant or deny the same by the
adoption of an appropriate resolution at the earliest regular meeting
of the Board of Commissioners of the Town of West New York; provided,
however, the Licensing Department shall first direct the said application
to be thoroughly investigated by the Chief of the Police Department
and the Chief of the Fire Department. The results of such investigation
by each of the said departments shall be made in writing, together
with a recommendation for approval or disapproval, as the case may
be, and submitted to the Board of Commissioners for its consideration.
B. Any application which fails to conform to the requirements
of this chapter or which contains any misrepresentations shall constitute
sufficient grounds for the denial of the application, or should it
appear that any applicant or member of an applicant firm or corporation,
as herein set forth, has been convicted of a crime or a violation
of a municipal ordinance involving gambling, a license shall likewise
be denied to such applicant.
Any premises which shall be declared to be unsafe
or a fire hazard by the written report of the Fire Department, shall
be deemed to be ineligible for a license.
Each license shall entitle the licensee to conduct
the licensed business only at the place designated in the license
and shall not be transferable either as to person, firm or corporation,
or premises, without application therefor addressed to the Licensing
Department in like manner as the application for an original license.
Proof of gambling in any licensed premises shall
constitute sufficient reason for the revocation of such license by
the Board of Commissioners; provided, however, that not less than
five days' written notice of hearing shall have been served upon the
licensee, either in person or by registered mall, return receipt requested,
and after the licensee shall have been afforded an opportunity to
be heard in his defense.
Said license may be suspended or revoked by
the Board of Commissioners for violation of any of the terms and provisions
of this article or for any other just and good cause, provided the
licensee is likewise served with notice of charges and given an opportunity
to be heard.
In the event any license is suspended or revoked,
the licensee shall not be entitled to the return of any portion of
the license fee.
[Amended 8-19-1981 by Ord. No. 1489]
The hours of operating such licensed premises
shall be between 11:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., excepting Sundays, on
which day the hours shall be between 1:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
No person under the age of 16 years shall be
permitted to play pool or billiards in any part of the licensed premises
unless accompanied by his parent or person standing in loco parentis.
No person under the age of 21 years shall be
employed in a licensed premises.
No license, or any agent, servant or employee
of a licensee, shall allow, suffer or permit or cause to be allowed,
suffered or permitted:
A. Any gambling in any form in or at the licensed premises.
B. Any betting or wagering on any game of pool or billiards
on said premises by any player, players or spectators.
C. Any intoxicated or disorderly person to be admitted
to the licensed premises or to remain therein.
D. Any loitering or congregating within the licensed
premises or on public or private property outside of and immediately
adjacent to the licensed premises, which shall be considered as conducting
the business in a disorderly manner.
E. Any entrance or exit to be locked during legal hours
of operation.
F. Any persons on licensed premises, other than during
the hours set forth herein, excepting those directly operating or
employed in said licensed premises.
G. Any activity upon the licensed premises which is or
may be detrimental to the public health, safety, welfare or morals.
H. The operation at any time of a greater number of tables than that stated upon the license, unless the same be modified in accordance with the provisions of §
117-41.
I. Any person to cause noise or loudness of such nature
as to disturb the peace and quiet in, upon, and around the licensed
premises.
[Amended 5-20-1992 by Ord. No. 1981]
No premises licensed under the terms of this
article shall be operated unless there is in force a public liability
insurance policy to cover any injuries suffered as a result of the
use of the equipment or of the operation of the licensed premises
in the amount of $300,000 for any one occurrence and $100,000 for
injury to any one person and including a clause to the effect that
the policy cannot be canceled during the license year without notification
being given to the Town of West New York.
In cases where a licensee desires to increase
the number of tables in operation in the licensed premises within
the license year, application shall be made in the manner described
aforesaid as in the case of original licenses. When the Board of Commissioners
has granted permission to increase the number of tables in operation
on the licensed premises, appropriate notation shall be made upon
the license card, provided the additional fees have been paid where
required.
Application for renewal of license shall be
made with the Licensing Department no later than January 1 of each
year, accompanied by the required annual fee made payable to Licensing
Department, Town of West New York.
This article shall not apply to any premises
for which a retail plenary consumption license has been heretofore
issued, any duly incorporated social club or association, religious,
charitable, benevolent, or nonprofit association or corporation or
fraternal organizations having a membership in excess of 100 members,
which organizations may include as part of their facilities pool or
billiard tables solely for the recreation and amusement of the members
thereof, except that all such organizations as described aforesaid
must be bona fide in character and not intended or created for the
purposes of evading or defeating the regulations prescribed by this
article. This article shall not apply to the keeping of a pool or
billiard table in a private residence.
[Amended 10-19-1977 by Ord. No. 1261]
Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the penalties provided for in Chapter
1, General Provisions, Article
I. Each day such violation shall be continued shall be deemed and taken to be a separate and distinct offense.