(a) No person shall own, operate or permit the operation of an amusement center on any premises owned, leased or operated by him or her or it, or engage in the business of operating an amusement center in the Municipality, unless an annual amusement center license has been obtained. The annual fee for this license shall be as set forth in the General Fee Schedule (see Chapter 208 of the Administration Code). In addition, there shall be an annual fee, as set forth in the General Fee Schedule, for each coin-operated amusement device.
(1) An amusement center license shall be obtained upon application to the City Manager and the payment of an annual license fee for each amusement center, and shall be for a full calendar year from January 1 through December 31, or portion of that year in the case of an initial application.
(2) An application for an amusement center license shall be signed and sworn to by the applicant, in the case of a sole proprietor, if a partnership, by all partners, and if a corporation, by a corporate officer in his or her official capacity. Each application shall be accompanied by the required license fee and shall contain the following information:
A. The applicant's full name, date of birth and Social Security number;
B. The applicant's residence address;
C. The applicant's business address;
D. The address of the proposed amusement center;
E. A list of similar amusement centers presently being operated by the applicant, complete with locations;
F. Information concerning the revocation or refusal of the issuance of any amusement center license by any other governmental entities;
G. A copy of any appropriate certificate of zoning compliance or variance required and/or issued by the Zoning Inspector;
H. A statement from the applicant indicating any gambling-related misdemeanor convictions or any felony convictions of each proprietor, partner or officer involved in the business, as well as the on-site manager of the business;
I. A drawing showing the distance of the proposed amusement center from any public school located within one-half mile of the proposed site. (NOTE: No license will be issued or renewed for any establishment located within 500 feet of the boundaries of a public school, public park or public library).
J. A schematic drawing of the location of each anticipated coin- operated amusement device at the proposed amusement center, noting with specificity the location of all pool tables, billiard tables and the like; and
K. A certificate from either the Pickerington Building Official or the Chief of the Violet Township Fire Department concerning the maximum occupancy allowed at the proposed amusement center.
(3) The City Manager may refuse the issuance of a license for an amusement center for falsification of information on the application; for reasonably anticipated noncompliance with Municipal zoning laws, these Codified Ordinances or the Ohio Revised Code; or because of a proven record of failure to operate other like amusement centers in compliance with acceptable community standards.
(b) No person shall operate a place of business where four or fewer coin-operated amusement devices are owned or operated unless an annual amusement device license has been obtained. The annual fee for this license shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each machine so licensed. Licenses for each machine shall be for the period January 1 through December 31 and shall not be prorated.
The requirements and procedures for application and issuance of the amusement device license shall be the same as for an amusement center license, with the exception that the information in paragraphs (a)(2)E. to K. hereof is not required.
(c) Upon receipt of an application and the appropriate fee, the City Manager shall refer the application to the Chief of Police, who shall conduct an investigation of the information on the application and the premises to include the proposed coin-operated amusement devices. If the Chief of Police finds that the application information is in order and that the premises and devices are in compliance with law, he or she shall issue a permit for a specific number of machines and shall so report to the City Manager. The City Manager shall then issue the appropriate license and the date of inspection shall be placed on the license. The Chief of Police shall make one or more additional inspections each license year. The date of each inspection shall be shown on the license.
(d) The license required and described in this section shall be purely a personal privilege and shall not constitute property. It is not transferable in any manner.
(Ord. 89-69. Passed 9-5-89; Ord. 2018-03. Passed 4-3-18.)