La Mirada Municipal Code Ch. 4.45 Carnivals, Circuses, Sideshows and Rodeos

No person shall operate any carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo without first obtaining a permit so to do as provided for in this chapter.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

"Carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo" means any place of amusement erected, maintained or established for recreation, amusement or entertainment where the public is invited or allowed to assemble and where are exhibited or conducted any feats of horsemanship, shows, games, contests, rides, mechanical amusements, fun houses, animal shows, clowns, acrobats, displays, amusement devices or games, or such other forms of skill or amusement as are commonly provided for in circuses, carnivals or rodeos.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any carnival or sideshow conducted and operated solely by the membership of a bona fide club, church, society, association or school group, organized or incorporated for benevolent, charitable, religious, dramatic or educational purposes and proceeds, if any, arising from such sideshow or carnival are used exclusively for the purposes of such club, church, society or association.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

All applicants for a carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo permit must provide the following information:

Applicants for a permit shall file a written signed and verified application with the finance director showing:

(1) The name and permanent address of the applicant;

(2) Location where the applicant proposes to conduct the carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo;

(3) The applicant's status, if any, as a nonprofit, charitable, religious or eleemosynary corporation or association;

(4) The purpose for which the applicant is primarily existing and for which it was organized;

(5) The name and addresses of the principal officers or board of directors of the corporation or association;

(6) A detailed description of the proposed carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo including type of entertainment or shows, number of persons engaged in the entertainment, and any other information about the proposed activity as the finance director may deem necessary;

(7) The date, hours and location where the carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo is proposed to be conducted and the admission fee, if any, to be charged;

(8) A statement of the nature and character of applicant's business, if any, to be carried on in conjunction with such entertainment;

(9) Such other reasonable information as to the identity or character of the person or persons having the management or supervision of the carnival, circus, sideshow or rodeo, as the finance director may deem necessary;

(10) The application shall be accompanied by a permit fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars, together with a public hearing fee of two hundred dollars. Each such fee shall be nonrefundable.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

After the application for a carnival, sideshow, circus or rodeo permit has been filed with the finance director, he or she shall cause an investigation to be made of such application, and after such investigation has been completed he shall cause the application to be set for hearing before the city council and shall notify the applicant of the date of such hearing.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

After the finance director has set the application for hearing he shall cause notice of the hearing to be given to all property owners within five hundred feet of the proposed actual location of the applicant's business. For the purposes of this section, notice to property owners shall be sufficient if given to those property owners who appear as such on the last equalized assessment roll on file with the city. Additionally, the finance director shall cause a public notice to be posted at the location where the business or entertainment is to be conducted. All notices provided for in this section shall be in the form and manner as determined by the finance director. The applicant shall bear all costs and expenses in mailing, printing, publishing and posting such notices and shall pay such costs to the city prior to the time set for public hearing as to his application. Failure to pay such costs by the applicant shall be grounds to deny his application.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

At the time and place set for public hearing as to any application, the city council shall hear and determine all the facts and evidence relevant to the nature and location and duration of the proposed activity.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

At the conclusion of the hearing before the city council, the city council shall grant or deny the application. The city council may deny the application if it shall find and determine any of the following:

(1) The conduct of the establishment or the granting of the application would be contrary to the public health, safety, morals or welfare for any reason; or

(2) That granting the application would create a public nuisance; or

(3) That the normal operation of the proposed circus, carnival, sideshow or rodeo would interfere with the peace and quiet of any surrounding residential neighborhood;

(4) The applicant does not have the required qualifications as defined in Section 4.45.040.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

(a) After the public hearing as to any application, the city council in granting any permit may also impose such reasonable conditions as to the use, extent or duration of such permit as it deems appropriate.

(b) The decision of the city council shall be final.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

Prior to the issuance of any permit as provided for in this chapter, each applicant shall post a cash bond in the sum of ten thousand dollars with the city. The condition of the cash bond shall be that the applicant shall well and faithfully comply with all the provisions of this chapter, the laws of the state, and of the city ordinances and each and every condition and regulation of the city which might be imposed as to the permit granted to the applicant.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).

The payment of the fees required by this chapter shall be in addition to any and all business license fees as required by this code.

(Ord. 383 § 2 Ex. A (part), 1986).