1156_00001ORDINANCENO.1156
ANORDINANCEAMENDINGMOSESLAKEMUNICIPALCODECHAPTER5.28
ENTITLED"PUBLICDANCES"
Section 1.Moses Lake Municipal Code Chapter 5.28 is amended to read asfollows:
I 5.28.010 Definitions:The following words shall apply in this chapter:
A."Open-air dancing"means any dance conducted outside of abuildinginthecit.y.
B."Public dance"means any dance,open air dance,or dance hall
to which the public generally may gain admission with or with-
out the payment of an admission fee.
C."Public dancehall"means any room or part thereof,any hall oranypartthereof,pavilion,building,or other structure occu-pied for the purpose,in whole or in part,of conductingthereinpublicdancesordancing.
5.28.020 Exemption:All public dances when held under school authority,
religious authority,or Park and Recreation Department authorityshallbeexemptfromthischapter.
5.28.030 License Required:It is a violation of this chapter for any per-son,tirm,society,association,or corporation to sponsor,permit,
or conduct any public dance within the corporate limits of thecity,without first obtaining a license to do so,as 4e provided in
this chapter.Licenses may be issued on a calendar year or nightly
basis.
I 5.28.040 Fees:Charitable,patriotic,or benefit dances for the public$7001 be exempt from payment upon a request to and permission beinggrantedbytheFinanceDirector.The license fee for public dances
shall be five dollars per night or eighty dollars per calendar
year,payable in advance.Each year shall begin on the first dayofJanuary.Those in operation only for one-half the year may payonJulyfirstonthebasisofahalf-year license of forty dollars
per year.
5.28.050 Application:
A.Application for a license to conduct a public dance shall be
made in writing to the Finance Director at least forty-eighthours.prior to the time the public dance is to be held andshallbeaccompaniedbyadepositoftherequiredfee.The
application shall contain the following information:
1.The name and mailing address of the applicant orapplicants;
2.The date upon which the event is to be held;
3.The address of the place where the dance is to be held;
I 4.The approximate attendance expected.
B.All applications are to be signed by the party conducting thedance.No license shall be granted to any corporation,but if
any corporation wishes to conduct a dance,the permit shall be
issued to the manager or other directing officer thereof.
5.28.060 Granting of License:No license to conduct a public dance shall be
granted unless the applicant is of good moral character.For the
purpose of considering an application for a license,the PoliceChiefandFireChiefortheirdesignatedassistantsmaymake,or
cause to be made,an inspection of the premises where such dance ordancingistobemaintainedorconducted,and may inquire into thecharacterandreputationoftheapplicantorapplicantsandmay
ORD.1156/Page 2
inquire into and make investigation as to the location where such
dance or dancing will be maintained,conducted or operated.The
Finance Director may,in his discretion,grant or refuse anylicenseapþ1iedfor.The applicant may then appeal directly to theCityCouncil.All licenses granted under this chapter shall be
kept posted in a conspicuous place on the licensed premises or in a
room where such dances or dancing is conducted.
5.28.070 Licenses Not Transferable:No license shall be assigned ortansferredtoanotherapplicantorsponsornorshallanylicense betransferredtoanyotherpremises.
5.28.080 Floor Manager Duties:Every person conducting a public dance shallhaveafloormanagerincontrolofthepremisescontinuallyfrom
one-half hour before dancing begins until the dancehall is closed.It shall be the duty of the floor manager to see that standards ofdecencyandgoodtastearemaintainedandthatdisorderly;familiar;or objectionable conduct is not tolerated;and to takeeffectivestepspromptlytoremoveobjectionablepersonsandstopobjectionablepractices.The floor manager shall carry out theprovisionsofthischapterrelatingtopublicdancehallsandpublicdancingandinpreservingorderandgoodconductonthepartofthepatronsandemployeesofthedance.The dance floor manager shallbedesignatedatthetimeofapplicationforalicense.If thefloormanagerischanged;the Police Department shall be notified
at least 48 hours in advance of the dance and must approve thechange.
5.28.090 Danceha11s -Lighting:The place where any such dance or dancing
is permitted shall be lighted or illuminated in such a manner andtosuchanextentasisusualorcustomaryforlightinghallsorroomsoflikedimensionsandlikecharacterinthenighttimefor
public assemblage,before any patrons are admitted thereto or be-fore any dance or dancing is commencedtherein.Such lighting orilTuminationshallbemaintainedthereafterthroughouttheentiretimesuchdancehallandpremisesshallbeopenandentertaining
patrons and during any recess or intermission without diminutionandwithoutinterruption;until the place where such dance or danc-ing is permitted shall be cleared and closed.
5.28.100 Activities Not Permitted:No person maintaining,permitting,
operating,or conducting any dance or dancing;or any manager oragentinchargethereof;shall do any of the following:
A.Permit in the place where such dancing is held;or upon thepremisesunderhiscontrolanypersonhavinginhisposses-sion;or offering for sale;selling;giving away or drinking
any intoxicating liquor other than liquor sold or possessed onthepremisesunderastatelicenseorpermit;
8.Permit any person under the influence of liquor or drugs toentertheplacewhereinsuchdancingispermittednortopar-ticipate therein or remain at such place,nor upon the prem-ises under his control;
C.Permit any illegal dealer in controlled substances;narcoticaddict,lewd or dissolute persons;idlers or other hangers-on
to be at or about the place where such dance or dancing ispermittedorconducted.
5.28.110 Hours:No public dancing shall be conducted or carried on between
the hours of one a.m.and six p.m.Pacific Time provided however;
that cabarets licensed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board
for the sale of intoxicating beverages;may conduct dancing.during
the hours authorized by the Washington State Liquor Control Board
for the sale of intoxicating beverages.The hours during whichopen-air dancing may be conducted shall be designated by theFinanceDirectorandPoliceChiefuponthelicenserequest.
ORD.1156/Page 3
5.28.120 Inspection:The Police and Fire Chiefs of the city or their desig-nated officials in uniform shall have free acces at all times toanyandallpublicdancesordancehallsforthepurposeofinspec-tion and to enforce compliance with the provisions of this chapter,and shall have the power to cause any dancehall to be vacatedwheneveranyprovisionofthischapterisbeingviolated;or where-in any ordinance;regulation;or law of any character is beingviolated.
I 5.28.130 Revocation of Licenses:
A.Any license of any kind granted under this chapter to conductanypublicdancemayberevokedorsuspendedbytheactionoftheFinanceDirector.After a hearing the Finance Director mayrevokeanannuallicensefortheremainderofitsterm;placetheapplicantonadeniallistforfurtherlicensesforaperiodofuptotwelve(12)months;or suspend a licensee'slicenseforaperiodofuptotwelve(12)months.The FinanceDirectormayconditiontheremovalofanapplicant's name fromadeniallistormayconditiontheliftingofasuspensionof
a license on the licensee's successful holding of a number ofdancesnottoexceedsix(6).An applicant who has previouslyhadhislicenserevokedand/or has been placed on a deniallistforatotaloftwelve(12)months maybe permanentlybarredfromobtainingalicensefromthecity.
B.All complaints or charges against a licensee alleging a viola-tion of the terms of this chapter shall be filed with theFinanceDirector.The Finance Director shall conduct a hear-ing on those charges upon no less than ten (10)days notice tothelicensee,licensee's agent;or designated licensee's em-playee.The licensee shall be provided with a copy of theallegationsagainsthimpriortothehearing.Any licenseeibelievinghimselfaggrievedbythedecisionoftheFinanceDirectormayfileawrittennoticeofappealtotheCit.y Coun-cil with the Finance Director within ten (10)days of theFinanceDirector's decision.The appeal shall be placed ontheCouncil's agenda for a meeting not more than six (6)weeksafterthenoticeofappealisfiled.The decision of theCouncilshallbefinal.
C.A notification from the Washington State Liquor Control Boardofaviolationofitsrulesorlawsbythelicenseeshallactasanautomaticsuspensionofthelicensee's license for theperiodofanysanctionsimposedbytheLiquorControlBoard.This suspension period is non-appealable.
5.28.140 Violation Declared Civil Infraction:Any person firm;or corpora-tion violating any of the provisions of this chapter is deemed tohavecommittedacivilinfraction.Upon determination that aviolationofthischapterhasbeencommitted,the license of suchpersonorfirmmayberevokedorsuspendedbythecourtinadditiontootherpenalties.
Section 2.This ordinance shall take effect and be in force five (5)daysatteritspassageandpublicationasprovidedbylaw.
I Adopted by the City Council and signed by its Mayor on October 9,1984.
APP AS TO FORM:
;2Xty,Atto "*
Publish:October 18,1984