(A) Each application for a license shall be accompanied by a receipt from the City Clerk-Treasurer for payment in full of the required fee for the license. All fees shall be paid into the General Fund of the municipality. Upon rejection of any application for a license, the City Clerk-Treasurer shall refund the amount paid.
(B) All licenses shall expire on December 31 of each year. Each license shall be issued for a period of one year except, that if a portion of the license year has elapsed when the application is made, a license may be issued for the remainder of the year for a pro rata fee. In computing the fee, any unexpired fraction of a month shall be counted as one month.
(C) Annual fees shall be set by ordinance of the City Council. In times of general economic uncertainty, economic recession, economic depression, natural disasters or pandemic, the City Council shall have the authority and discretion, by motion or resolution, to temporarily suspend or reduce the annual fee.
(D) At any time during the year when the license is in effect, or by no later than February 15 of the following year, the licensee may submit a written request to the City Council for a full or partial refund of the liquor license fee and the City Council shall have the authority and discretion to grant a full or partial refund of the fee if the licensee shows that the operation of the licensed business was required to cease or significantly scale back its operations during the course of the license year because of:
(1) Destruction or damage of the licensed premises by fire or other catastrophe;
(2) The licensee’s illness that he or she is unable to continue in business;
(3) The licensee’s death;
(4) Natural disasters, pandemic or local, state or federal government laws, regulations or orders requiring the licensed business to cease or significantly scale back its operations because of or related to natural disasters or pandemic; or
(5) A change in the legal status of the municipality, making it unlawful for the licensed business to continue.
(E) If licensed premises are transferred, and the transferee is issued an on sale or off sale license for the remainder of the year, no portion of the license fee shall be refunded to the transferor, but shall be assigned to the transferee for the remaining period of the license.
(F) If an applicant for a license provides in the application that the sale of intoxicating liquor on the licensed premises shall be temporary or seasonal, the City Council may charge a pro rata fee based upon each full or partial calendar month. If an applicant for an on sale license provides in the application that the sale of intoxicating liquor on the licensed premises shall be part-time, and will be limited to a total number of hours less than one-half of the total hours authorized by state law for a sale of intoxicating liquor, the City Council may reduce the annual license fee equitably to reflect the reduced hours of sale.
(Ord. 21, passed 1-8-1958; Ord. 159, passed 3-28-2000; Ord. 220, passed 12-14-2020; Ord. 221, passed 12-28-2020; Ord. 232, passed 6-27-2022)