9.20 — BILLIARD ROOMS

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

Public billiard room. Any place open to the public where billiards, bagatelle or pool is played, or in which any billiard, bagatelle or pool table is kept and persons are permitted to play or do play thereon, whether any compensation or reward is charged for the use of such table or not.

Social billiard club. A bona fide social club with a limited membership into which admission cannot be obtained by any person at his or her pleasure, and the sole or main purpose of which is to furnish to its members and to the guests of such members a place in which to play billiards, bagatelle, or pool.

Any place which is a "public billiard room," as defined in this section, is not a "social billiard club."

(Prior code § 9-1)

All billiard rooms shall be closed between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. of the same day except on Sundays. All billiard rooms shall be closed between 12:01 a.m. on Sunday and 9:00 a.m. of the following Monday. No person may remain on the premises of any billiard room during the hours when such billiard room is closed or required by this chapter to be closed, except the owner and regular employees.

(Prior code § 9-2)

No owner, manager, proprietor or other person in charge of any public billiard room shall allow or permit any intoxicated, quarreling or disorderly person to be or remain in such place. (Prior code § 9-3)

• A. No person under the age of 18 years shall be permitted to be, remain in, enter, or play at any game or lounge about any public billiard hall, pool hall or other gaming place within the City, unless accompanied by his or her parent or legal guardian or upon written, notarized consent of his or her parent or legal guardian.

• B. No owner, manager, proprietor or operator shall permit a violation of this section within his or her establishment.

• (Prior code § 9-4)

• A. No person under the age of 21 years shall be in, remain in, enter or visit any public billiard room in which any alcoholic beverages of alcoholic content greater than five percent by volume are sold or dispensed or offered for sale.

• B. Every owner, manager, proprietor or other person in charge of a public billiard room in which any alcoholic beverages of alcoholic content greater than five percent by volume are sold or dispensed or are offered for sale shall prohibit and prevent every person under the age of 21 years from being in, remaining in, entering or visiting such public billiard room.

• (Prior code § 9-5)

A person shall not maintain any public billiard room, or similar place of business to which the public is invited, or any social billiard club, in which there is placed, constructed or maintained any screen, partition, barrier, closet, alcove or object in front of any window, which screen, partition, barrier, closet, alcove or object may obstruct the visibility of any part of such establishment except rest rooms:

• A. From the street or sidewalk, if such establishment is located on the ground floor.

• B. From the entrance of any establishment which is located either entirely below the level of the street or sidewalk or on the second or higher floor of any building or other structure.

• (Prior code § 9-6)

It is unlawful for any establishment to open a billiard room and pool hall without having a permit to conduct the same issued pursuant to a hearing before the City Council. Each application for a permit pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be placed on the agenda of the City Council by the City Clerk as soon as possible after an application meeting all requirements of Title 5 is filed with the City Clerk. The City Council shall thereafter hold a special hearing on the issuance of the permit, giving the applicant at least five days' written notice of the time and place of the hearing, unless the applicant appears before the City Council and waives the notice. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to establishments with four or more billiard or pool tables.

• A. Fee. With the application under Section 5.04.070, the applicant shall pay to the City Clerk an application fee of $10.00, which shall be in lieu of the fee as set forth in Section 5.04.070.

• B. Investigations of Applicant—Referral of Application to City Planning Commission. At the time of the hearing before the City Council under Section 9.20.080(B), the City Council shall have before it the report of the law enforcement agency. The City Council, in addition, may make all investigations necessary in order to determine whether in its opinion the applicant is of sufficient moral character or is a sufficiently fit person to manage or conduct such establishment and whether by reason of the place where such establishment is to be located, the conducting of or carrying on thereof would be detrimental to the public health, peace, safety or morals. The City Council may, in its discretion, also refer the application to the City Planning Commission for study and recommendation by the City Planning Commission to the City Council.

• (Prior code §§ 9-7—9-9)

• A. Compliance with Chapter. No person shall be issued a business license to conduct, engage in or carry on the business of a public billiard room or social billiard club until action has been taken upon his or her application for such business license as set forth in this chapter.

• B.

• Hearing.

1. Required. Upon receipt of a copy of an application for a public billiard room license, the City Council shall set the application for hearing before itself, not sooner than 15 days nor more than 30 days after such receipt.

2. Serving Notice. Not less than five days before a hearing on an application for a public billiard room license, the City Council shall serve notice of the time and place of such hearing on:

   • a. Applicant.

   • b. All persons whose names and addresses appear upon the latest available assessment roll as owners of the whole or any portion of the property on the block where the proposed public billiard room is to be operated.

3. Posting of Notice.

   • a. Not less than five days before a hearing on an application for a public billiard room, the City Council shall post a notice of the time and place of such hearing on a public street or highway in at least five places on the block where it is proposed to conduct, maintain or operate such a public billiard room. The notice shall be entitled "Notice of Hearing on Application for License to Conduct, Maintain, Operate a Public Billiard Room," which shall be printed in letters of not less than one inch in height. The notice shall be substantially in the following form:

"Notice is hereby given that on the day _____ of 20_____, at the hour of _____.m. in the Council Chambers, 16400 Colorado Avenue, Paramount, California, the said Council will conduct a hearing upon application of (Name of Applicant) to conduct at (Location Named in Application), a public billiard room, briefly described as follows:

_____, full details of method of play of same being set out in application heretofore filed with said City Council and now open for public inspection at the City Hall, 16400 Colorado Avenue, Paramount, California. Any person having objections to granting of the said license may at any time prior to the date above named, file with the City Council his or her objection in writing, giving his or her reasons therefor, and he or she may appear at the time and place of said hearing and be heard relative thereto."

• b. A copy of such notice so posted shall be published three times within the 30-day period in a newspaper of general circulation circulated within the City. In addition to the filing fee, the applicant shall pay for such publications and printing.

• C. Filing of Protest Against Issuance. Any person interested, at any time after the filing of an application to conduct a billiard room and before the public hearing, may file written protests against the granting of any such license and the City Council shall, in considering the application, give consideration to all such protests so filed.

• D. Issuance. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a business license shall not be issued to a public billiard room or a social billiard club except upon the order of the City Council. The City Clerk shall give the County Tax Collector written notice of such order.

• E. Valid Only at Place Described in Application—Transferability. Any license issued to conduct a public billiard room or social billiard club shall authorize such public billiard room or social billiard club to be conducted only at the place described in the application and by the person by whom such application is made; except, that the City Council may, by order entered on its minutes and certified to the tax collector, authorize a transfer of such license from one place to another.

(Prior code §§ 9-10—9-16)