(a) No person shall operate a public ball or dance within the City, unless such person, persons, partnership or corporation first obtains a license from the Mayor. "Public ball" or "public dance" includes any dance or ball where an admission fee, cover charge or its equivalent is required. The license fee for such public ball or dance shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year or any fractional part of the year.
(b) Before such license is issued in or adjacent to a residential district, the Mayor shall notify all owners or occupants of residences located within three hundred feet of the building in which it is proposed to establish and maintain such ball and dance and set a date not less than five days or more than ten days for hearing upon the application.
(c) If a majority of such owners or occupants protest in writing against the issuance of the license, the Mayor, if he finds upon investigation that it would be for the best interest of such neighborhood to do so, shall refuse to issue the license.
(d) The Mayor may at his discretion grant a permit without charge for any ball or dance to be given by or for the benefit of any purely civic, benevolent, charitable, educational, religious society or organization, or by and for the benefit of any society or organization genuinely and regularly conducted for a purpose other than giving of balls or dances, provided that the application for any such permit be applied for five days prior to the date of the proposed ball or dance and any such dance shall be termed to be a private ball or dance. No such license or permit shall be issued unless the applicant is a reputable person of good moral character, and unless the building or hall in which such ball or dance is conducted complies with all building, health, fire and safety regulations of the State and City, is adequately ventilated and is supplied with sufficient toilet facilities.
(1958 Code §56.12)