Chapter 5.30
DANCE LICENSES
Sections:
5.30.020 Reports to chief of police.
5.30.050 Pass-out checks prohibited.
5.30.080 Tax or fee constitutes debt.
5.30.100 Special police officer.
5.30.010 License required.
It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, firm, society, association or corporation to conduct or engage in the business of operating a public dancehall or public dance in the city of La Center without having first obtained a license pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. Exempted from this chapter are establishments licensed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 2, 1985.]
5.30.020 Reports to chief of police.
The owner or operator of any public dance or public dancehall shall, if such dance or dancehall is open and conducted on a regular schedule, file with the chief of police a current and complete calendar of dates when such public dance or dancehall shall be open and in operation. The owner or operator of any such public dance or public dancehall not open or operated on a regular schedule shall file with the chief of police, not less than 48 hours prior to the time of holding or opening such public dance or public dancehall, a notice of such intention to so open and conduct such an operation. All peace officers of the city of La Center, and the state of Washington, shall have free access to public dances and public dancehalls for the purpose of inspection and to enforce compliance with the provisions of this chapter. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 3, 1985.]
5.30.030 Hours.
All public dances shall be discontinued and all public dancehalls shall be closed before 1:00 a.m. and said dancehall shall remain closed until 6:00 a.m. on the following day. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 4, 1985.]
5.30.040 Conduct.
No person, firm or corporation maintaining, conducting or carrying on any public dance or public dancehall or having charge or control thereof, nor any person employed in and about such a place, shall allow or permit any person under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or any disorderly person, to enter, be or remain in, or to dance, in any such public dance or public dancehall. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 5, 1985.]
5.30.050 Pass-out checks prohibited.
No person shall give to any person leaving such dance or dancehall a return or pass-out check or other token whereby readmission can be obtained without the payment of a fee in an amount equal to that of an original admission, and no person leaving such dance or dancehall shall receive any such return or pass-out check or token or gain re-admission without paying the same fee as charged for an original admission. No owner, proprietor, operator or manager, or any servant or agent of any owner, proprietor or manager of any dance or dancehall shall charge any fee for participation in any dance or activity other than an entrance or admission fee to such dance or dancehall. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 6, 1985.]
5.30.060 Use of liquor.
No person, partnership, firm, society, association or corporation conducting a public dance or dancehall, nor any person having charge or control thereof at any time when dancing is being carried on or conducted therein, shall permit any person to bring into said dance or dancehall or into any room or rooms in connection therewith or upon the premises which such dance or dancehall is situated, any intoxicating liquor, nor permit intoxicating liquor to be drunk in said dance or dancehall or in any of the said rooms or upon said premises. No person during any time any public dance or dancehall is open and being operated shall take or carry into said room or rooms or upon said premises or drink therein or thereon any intoxicating liquor. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 7, 1985.]
5.30.070 License fees.
(1) No person, partnership, firm, society, association, or corporation desiring to maintain, operate, or conduct a public dance or public dancehall, within the corporate limits of the city of La Center to which the general public is either invited or may attend, shall do so without first having made application therefor to the city council in writing, setting forth the name or names of the proprietor or proprietors, location of the dance or dancehall for which the permit is sought, and the name under which the same shall be operated.
(2) Any person, partnership, firm, society, association, or corporation desiring to conduct a single dance for one night only, to which the general public is either invited or may attend, shall pay to the clerk/treasurer the sum of $5.00 for each such dance. The city clerk/treasurer shall, upon direction of the council, and upon payment by the applicant, issue a permit for the operation of a single dance for one night only.
(3) The license and fee herein provided are separate from and in addition to any other license and/or fee required by other ordinances. The license or permit herein provided shall be personal and nontransferable. Each permit or license shall be numbered, shall show the name, place and character of the public dance or public dancehall of the applicant and such other information as the clerk/treasurer deems necessary. All license fees fixed in this chapter shall be payable in advance. [Ord. 2019-21 Exh. 1, 2019; Ord. VIII-6-5 § 8, 1985.]
5.30.080 Tax or fee constitutes debt.
Any license fee due and unpaid under this chapter, and all penalties thereon, shall constitute a debt to the city of La Center and may be collected by court proceedings in the same manner as any other debt in like amount, which remedy shall be in addition to all other existing remedies. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 9, 1985.]
5.30.090 License revocation.
In addition to other fines and penalties that may be imposed herein, the city, acting by its council, may at any time, upon a hearing held not less than five days after written notice to licensee at the time and place thereof and upon proof of the conviction of any violation of any ordinance of the city of La Center or any state or federal law or for other clause deemed by them sufficient, revoke any license issued by virtue hereof. This power to revoke is cumulative and shall not impair the right of the city to act under any other ordinance now or hereafter in effect regulating the procedure for revocation of licenses. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 10, 1985.]
5.30.100 Special police officer.
During the hours of any public dance or public dancehall operation, there shall be present a person of good moral character recommended by the chief of police, who shall be appointed as a special police officer with full police powers upon and about such premises, whose compensation, if any, shall be paid by the licensee without any right of compensation against the city. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 11, 1985.]
5.30.110 Violation – Penalty.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. [Ord. VIII-6-5 § 12, 1985.]