Source: https://ecode360.com/9676694
Timestamp: 2017-11-20 00:29:09
Document Index: 154802773

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104', '§ 104']

City of Saco, ME Flea Markets
§ 104-3 Scope.
§ 104-4 Prohibition.
§ 104-5 Terms for license.
§ 104-6 Compliance required; authority.
§ 104-7 Standards for denial, suspension or revocation of license; renewal.
§ 104-8 Hearings.
§ 104-9 Appeals.
§ 104-10 Notices of hearing.
§ 104-11 Transfer of license.
§ 104-12 Public complaints.
Chapter 104: Flea Markets
[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Saco 11-24-1997. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Chapter 104 : Flea Markets
This chapter shall be known as the "Saco Flea Market Ordinance."
The City recognizes the economic value of so-called "flea markets" to the community. These markets are a place for individuals from both the local community and from out-of-state to sell, merchandise and purchase new and secondhand goods at low cost. Flea markets also are a community gathering spot. They produce jobs for local citizens and income for merchants, as well as a place for people to meet. These markets, however, have been unregulated and have been disruptive of neighbors and traffic flow. They are a visual distraction and detriment to the City when not adequately controlled. In addition, some individual flea market vendors violate City zoning standards, offer for sale dangerous or illegal products and do not always comply with state tax laws. Because of the nature of their operations, these individual vendors are difficult to regulate. The City adopts the following chapter to promote flea markets in general but with the goal of protecting the visitors to our community and the neighborhoods where such markets are found.
Any person, family, association, corporation or other business entity who/which promotes, authorizes and/or suffers the operation or maintenance of a flea market on their property, or on property they rent, lease or otherwise control, must possess a flea market operators license from the City.
A flea market operator, whether or not they actually charge admission fees to the public or charge fees to any flea market vendor at the flea market, and regardless whether they operate for profit or not, must secure a flea market operator's license to maintain the flea market.
A "flea market vendor" is defined as a person, family, corporation, association or other business entity who rents, leases, pays for or otherwise occupies any amount of space, land and/or tables at a flea market for the purposes of advertising, displaying, promoting or selling new or used goods or merchandise.
Flea market operator. No person, family, corporation, association or other business entity may operate, suffer, permit or conduct a flea market on their property without a City license. The failure to secure a license is hereby deemed a nuisance which may be abated by enforcement of state law and subject to the fines and penalties described therein.
Vendor. No person, family, corporation, association or other business may sell, market, merchandise, display, promote or package new or used goods at a flea market without a valid flea market vendor's license. The failure to secure a license is deemed a nuisance which may be abated by enforcement of state law or by means of arrest and removal from the flea market by the Police Department.
Operators. To receive a flea market operator's license, a person, family, corporation, association or other business entity must agree to the following terms and conditions, which terms and conditions are made a part of its license:
The flea market operator will not permit any individual, family, corporation, association or other business entity to sell, display, market or otherwise avail themselves of the benefits and privileges of the flea market unless the individual or entity holds a valid City flea market vendor's license.
The flea market operator must comply with all City of Saco zoning ordinances and all City regulations.
The flea market will open no sooner than 7:00 a.m. and remain open no longer than 9:00 p.m.
The operator will not permit or suffer any violation of City ordinances or regulations, nor jeopardize or endanger the public health or safety in any way, or the health and safety of any customers at the market; nor suffer or permit any flea market vendor from doing any of the same.
The operator will prohibit, bar and/or expel from the flea market any flea market vendor who disturbs the peace or who violates any City ordinance or regulation.
The flea market operator will advise and instruct all flea market vendors on the property to prominently display at all times the vendor's City license.
An operator's license shall run for one year January 1 through December 31, and the fee shall be established by the City Council after a public hearing.
Vendors. To receive a flea market vendor's license, a person, family, corporation, association or other business entity must meet and agree to the following terms and conditions, which are made a part of its license:
Flea market vendors will comply with all City of Saco zoning ordinances and all City regulations.
The flea market vendor will not display merchandise, flags, pennants, banners or other advertising at a height greater then nine feet above ground level and agrees that if such are found they may be immediately removed by Saco Police.
The flea market vendor will open no sooner than 7:00 a.m. and must close by 9:00 p.m.
The flea market vendor must display, at all times, and in a prominent place of public view, its City license.
The flea market vendor will not disturb the peace.
A flea market vendor's license shall run for a term of one year, January 1 through December 31, and the fee for such license shall be established by City Council after a public hearing.
Flea market vendors will not disturb the peace nor jeopardize or endanger the public health and safety in any way.
Flea market vendors will not sell illegal, counterfeit or contraband items or goods nor engage in any illegal activities at the flea market.
The failure to meet, follow and/or comply with any license condition may result in forfeiture of the operator's or vendor's license. Past license violations may be considered as a factor upon request for renewal.
It shall be the Clerk's responsibility to issue, suspend and/or deny any license described herein. The Clerk shall maintain license applications and a file with all license holders. In the absence of the Clerk, the City Administrator will assume all authority hereunder.
A flea market operator's license or a flea market vendor's license may be denied, suspended or revoked upon a determination of the existence of one or more of the following grounds:
Failure to fully complete the application forms for licenses; knowingly making an incorrect statement of a material nature on such form; failure to supply any additional documentation required or reasonably necessary to determine whether such license is issuable, or failure to pay any fee required hereunder.
The business or persons on the premises of the business have caused one or more breaches of the peace.
There is a clear danger that a breach of the peace will occur if the licensed activity is permitted or continued.
The business or persons patronizing the business will substantially and adversely affect the peace and quiet of the neighborhood, whether or not residential.
The business has violated one or more provisions of this chapter or other ordinances of the City of Saco, including its Zoning Ordinance.
Real or personal property taxes or final judgments are due and payable to the City and are determined to be in arrears as of the date of the license request.
The operator has permitted unlicensed vendors to sell, display or market goods on the property and has failed to remove or expel such vendors.
A license may be renewed year to year upon review by the Clerk/Council, again applying the standards described above in § 104-7. As part of the review process, and as described in § 104-6, the Clerk/Council will consider compliance from prior years in its consideration and, based upon that review, may add conditions to any future license to correct, abate or limit past problems. Such conditions may be removed if the operator or vendor satisfies the Clerk/Council of future compliance with this chapter.
Except as expressly provided in this chapter, no license may be revoked or suspended without prior notice to the licensee and after a hearing. In the case of the suspension or revocation of a license, a hearing shall be given to the licensee and a generalized statement of the nature of the complaint constituting the basis for the proposed action shall be included in the notice of hearing. Failure of the business to appear at the hearing shall be deemed a waiver of the rights to said hearing. All suspensions or revocation shall be upon substantial evidence and all hearings shall be conducted with substantial fairness. "Substantial fairness" is defined to mean that the Clerk or Council shall not arbitrarily deny, suspend or revoke a license but will base their decision upon credible evidence of one or more of the grounds described above.
Procedure. An appeal to the City Council may be taken by any person aggrieved by the denial, suspension or revocation of license by the Clerk by filing a notice of appeal within 30 days of the decision. Every appeal should be in writing and shall state the basis for the appeal. The City Administrator/City Council shall hear the appeal within two weeks after the filing of the appeal and may affirm, reverse or modify the decision appealed from.
Appeal to the Superior Court. Any person aggrieved by the decision on appeal may appeal to the Superior Court in accordance with the provisions of Maine Rules of Civil Procedure 80B.
Content. Whenever a hearing is required, the Clerk shall give notice of the time and place of the hearing, the type of license involved and the nature of the hearing and the address or location of the property involved.
No license may be transferred by the licensee to any person, business or entity, nor shall any license fee be refunded if the licensed activity is ceased prior to the expiration of the license.
In all cases arising out of this section in which the Clerk, if required to determine the identity or composition of or ownership interests in an application or licensee, or to determine whether a transfer of an ownership interest in an applicant or licensee has taken place, he shall look to the substance rather than the form of transactions, and any person aggrieved may appeal the Clerk's determination to the City Manager.
All flea market operators shall post on their property a conspicuous notice that guests and/or customers of the market may bring any complaint regarding the market or any vendor to the City, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 4:00, at 300 Main Street, Saco.