[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Clairton 8-14-1973 by Ord. No.
1249 as Ch. 70 of the 1973 Code. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
The City Manager is hereby authorized, directed and empowered
to issue a license to any person for the use or operation, in any
place or location or within any building whatsoever in the City, of
pinball machines and of other such machines, apparatus and gaming
tables or devices designed and operated for profit, amusement or entertainment,
whether operated by pins or pegs and balls or by electric batteries
or a central lighting system or by any other device, provided that
such place, location or building is not less than 200 feet from any
school building.
Said person or persons, firm, association or corporation using
or operating or causing to be used or operated any machine or apparatus
designated in this article in the City of Clairton shall first make
application for license or licenses to the City Manager at the Municipal
Building, which application shall set forth the name, citizenship,
residence and present and previous occupation of the applicant and
of all his or her partners, if a partnership or an association, and
the names and addresses of the officers and board of directors, if
a corporation; the number of arrests and convictions, if any, of any
of the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or of federal laws
and of other states and of the ordinances of the City of Clairton;
the specific name and kind of machine with identification number;
the number of machines or other devices or apparatus to be licensed;
and the location where machines, etc., are to be set up and operated.
The Chief of Police shall investigate all applicants and approve
the same, certifying that the applicant is a fit and proper person
of good character and good repute, a citizen of the United States
of America and conducts a legitimate business; then and only upon
said certification of approval by the Chief of Police shall the City
Manager further process the application.
When approved by the Chief of Police, a duplicate copy of such
application shall be presented to the Financial Officer who, upon
payment by the applicant of the license fee, shall receipt such duplicate
as having been paid, and upon presentation of such paid application
to the City Manager he or she shall thereupon grant and issue a license
for each separate device, machine or apparatus.
A.
All license fees as aforesaid are payable on a calendar-year basis
for each year before the 30th day of January hereafter.
[Amended 4-14-1992 by Ord. No. 1518]
B.
Effective January 1, 1996, a license fee shall be levied on the various
types of machines in accordance with the following fee schedule:
[Amended 2-9-1982 by Ord. No. 1353; 12-30-1983 by Ord. No. 1377; 11-12-1991 by Ord. No. 1503; 12-28-1993 by Ord. No. 1568; 12-26-1995 by Ord. No.
1604]
All licenses shall expire on December 31 of each successive
year hereafter beginning on December 31, 1955, and shall be renewable
in accordance with the provisions of this article, except that renewal
licenses may be issued by the City Manager without further notice
or investigation by the City Manager or Chief of Police at his or
her discretion; provided further, however, that a new application
shall be required at the beginning of each calendar year as aforesaid.
Every license issued under the provisions of this article shall
be signed by the City Manager.
Each license issued under the provisions of this article shall
be attached to and exposed in a conspicuous place upon each machine
so licensed before such machine may be used or operated.
The license of any person convicted of a violation of this article
shall be revoked by the City Manager, and at least three months shall
elapse before another license may be granted to such person.
[Amended 4-14-1992 by Ord. No. 1518]
It shall be the duty of any police officer of the City, either
upon view or upon any information made and warrant issued, to arrest
any or all persons violating the portions of this article as to one
or more machines, and upon conviction by a District Justice, such
person shall be fined not more than $600, plus costs of prosecution
and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment
for a period not exceeding 90 days for each separate offense.
It shall be unlawful for any person to own or operate a public
poolroom, billiard room or bowling alley without first having obtained
a license to do so in the manner set forth in this article.
Every person owning or operating a public poolroom, billiard
room or bowling alley shall first make an application for a license
from the City Manager at the Municipal Building.
The application required by the preceding section shall be in
writing and shall set forth the name of the applicant, his or her
nationality, his or her previous occupation and the location of the
poolroom, billiard room or bowling alley for which the license is
desired. The application shall further state the number of tables
or alleys to be used, the number of rooms to be used and whether the
whole or part of the building in which the business is located is
to be used in the licensed business.
The Chief of Police shall investigate every applicant for a
license under this article. Upon approving an applicant, the Chief
of Police shall certify that the applicant is a person of good character
and repute, conducts a legitimate business and is a citizen of the
United States.
Upon the approval by the Chief of Police of an applicant for
a license under this article, a duplicate of his or her application
shall be presented to the Financial Officer who, upon payment by the
applicant of the license fee, shall receipt such duplicate as having
been paid. Upon presentation of such paid application to the City
Manager, he or she shall grant and issue a license for each separate
machine.
Every license issued under the provisions of this article shall
be posted in a conspicuous and public place on the premises so licensed.
The license fee for every public poolroom, billiard room or
bowling alley shall be $50 per year and shall be paid on or before
the first day of January of each year. When any such public poolrooms,
billiard rooms or bowling alleys shall go into business after the
first day of January of any year, they shall only pay for that proportionate
part of such year for which they shall be licensed.
No person under 18 years of age shall be permitted to be present
in any public poolroom, billiard room or bowling alley or in any house
or portion thereof so licensed, nor shall billiards, pool or tenpins
be played in any house so licensed between the hours of 11:30 p.m.
and 6:00 a.m., nor shall any such licensee permit drunken or disorderly
persons to frequent or congregate on the premises for which such public
license shall have been granted; provided, however, that the provisions
of this section prohibiting persons under 18 years of age from being
present in any premises licensed under this article shall not apply
to those cases in which any such premises may be temporarily rented
for the exclusive use and amusement of any party or gathering and
to the exclusion of the general public.
[Amended 4-14-1992 by Ord. No. 1518]
The City Council shall have the right, power and authority to
close any premises licensed under the provisions of this article violating
the provisions thereof and shall also have the right and power to
revoke any such license upon proof of any violation thereof.
All windows in any premises licensed under provisions of this
article which open or front upon any public street, lane or alley
shall be of transparent glass, and no such windows shall be protected
or obscured by any blinds, screens or curtains so as to prevent anyone
on the outside from observing what may be done or may transpire within.
[Amended 4-14-1992 by Ord. No. 1518]
The proprietors of premises licensed under the provisions of
this article are hereby required to observe all such rules and regulations
as to the conduct and management of such places of business as the
City Manager may deem necessary by and with the approval of the Council
from time to time to adopt and enforce for the efficient police inspection
and regulation of such premises.
[Amended 4-14-1992 by Ord. No. 1518]
Every person violating any of the provisions or regulations
of this article shall, upon conviction before a District Justice,
be subject to a fine in any sum not exceeding $600, plus costs of
prosecution and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to
imprisonment for a period not exceeding 90 days.
