Ordinance No. 748ORDINANCE NO. 748
AN URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF CYPRESS CONCERNING FORTUNE TELLING,
REPEALING AND ESTABLISHING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF
THE CITY CODE OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS
THE CYPRESS CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CYPRESS DOES HEREBY
ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 17 -4 of the City Code of the City of
Cypress and Ordinance No. 745 of the City of Cypress are hereby
repealed.
SECTION 2. The following is added to Chapter 15, Article I
of the City Code of the City of Cypress:
Division 2. Fortune Telling.
Sec. 15 -46. Fortune Telling and Similar
Alas is .c,
(a) Every natural person who engages in,
practices or professes to practice,
within the City, the business or art
of astrology, phrenology, life
reading, fortune- telling, cartomacy,
clairvoyance, crystal gazing,
hypnotism (other than in connection
with the practice of medicine),
mediumship, mesmerism, oriental
mysteries, palmistry, spirits,
etherealization, numerology,
physiognomy, seership, prophecy,
augury, divination, magic,
necromancy, reading of tarot or
similar cards, or use of other
similar occult powers for any
form of compensation, shall pay
sum of Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars
($750.00) for the first year of
operation and Five Hundred Dollars
($500.00) per year thereafter.
(b) Compliance with Permit. No person
shall commence, engage in, or
advertise that he will engage in any
business or activity specified in
Section 15 -46(a) without first having
procured a permit as required by the
licensing provisions of this Chapter
or without complying with any and all
regulations of such business or
activity contained in this Chapter or
any ordinance of the City. Each
person who engages in any of the
activities specified in Section
15 -46(a) shall procure a permit in
‘771:i
the manner prescribed in this
Chapter, regardless of whether or not
such person is practicing. such
activity on behalf of or in
conjunction with any corporation,
partnership, organization, or any
other person or persons. Permits
issued pursuant to this Section shall
be non - transferable. The
advertisement, commencement, or
practice of any activity mentioned
herein, without first having procured
such permit when required to do so
or without complying with any and all
laws of•this City, shall constitute a
separate violation of this Chapter
for each and every day such business
or activity is so advertised or
practiced.
(c) Application. Every person desiring
to practice a profession, art, or
business specified in Section
15 -46(a) shall submit an application
to the City Manager. The applicant
shall provide the following:
(i) Name and address of the
applicant.
(ii) Address of the proposed
location for the conduct of the
proposed profession, art or business.
(iii) Record of conviction for
violations of the law, excluding
minor traffic violations.
(iv) Two copies of a photograph, one
inch by one inch in size, taken
within six months of the application.
(v) Fingerprints of the applicant on .
a form approved by the Police
Department.
(vi) Address, including city and
state, and approximate dates when the
applicant practiced a similar
business, either alone or in
conjunction with others.
(vii) Employment or business records
for the previous five (5) years.
-2--
(viii) All names used by the
applicant during the previous five
(5) years.
(d) Investigation. The City Manager shall
make, or cause to be made, an
investigation of each application in
order to verify the facts contained
in the application. After conducting
said investigation, the City Manager
shall approve the issuance of the
permit if it is found that:
(i) All the information contained in
the application is accurate; and
(ii) The applicant has not been
convicted of a crime involving
dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or moral
turpitude.
(e) Issuance of Permit. Upon approval
of said application, the City Manager
shall thereafter issue the permit
when:
(i) The required permit fee has
been paid; and
(ii) A bond is filed with the City
Clerk in the principal sum of
$10,000.00 executed by a corporate
surety aythorized to do business in
this state, which bond has been
approved by the City Attorney. Such
bond shall be given to insure good
faith and fair dealing on the part of
the applicant and as a guarantee of
indemnity for any and all loss,
damage, injury, theft, or other
unfair dealing suffered by any patron
of the applicant within the City
during the term of the permit.
(f) Denial of Permit. In the event the
City Manager denies a permit to any
applicant, the City Manager shall
give the applicant written notice of
the denial, in person or by
registered mail, stating the reasons
for such denial. If the City Manager
fails to complete an investigation or
issue the permit within thirty (30)
days after an application is made,
-3-
the applicant shall treat such
failure as a denial for purposes of
filing an appeal.
(g) Appeal of Denial of Permit. Any
applicant may file an appeal to the
City Council with the City Clerk from
a decision of the City Manager
denying a permit application within
fifteen (15) days after notice of
such decision is given.
(i) Contents of Notice of Appeal.
Any such appeal shall be in writing
and shall specify:
1. The name and address of
appellant;
2. The matter being appealed;
3.' A statement of the ground of
appeal.
(ii) Hearing on Appeal. The City
Council shall hold a hearing in the
manner provided herein on any appeal
duly filed pursuant to the provisions
of this Section. Notice of such
hearing shall be given to the
appellant not less than ten (10) days
before such hearings either by
registered or certified mail, postage
prepaid, return receipt requested,
addressed to the appellant at the
address stated in the notice of
appeal or as filed with or known to
the City Clerk, or in the manner
required for the service of summons
in civil actions. At the time of the
hearing, the Council shall hear and
consider any relevant evidence. At
such hearing, the appellant shall be
given an opportunity to appear either
personally or by counsel and to be
heard and to call witnesses on his or
her behalf. The Council may place
any witness, including the appellant,
under oath. The hearing may be
continued from time to time as
determined necessary by the Council
or upon request of the appellant upon
good cause being shown therefor, in
the discretion of the City Council.
-4-
(iii) Decision. At the close of the
hearing or at any time within thirty
(30) days thereafter, the.City
Council shall determine whether to
grant or deny the appeal and may
impose any conditions it deems
necessary. The decision of the City
Council shall be final.
(iv) Notice of Decision. Unless the
Council publicly announces its
decision at the close of the hearing,
it shall, within thirty (30) days
thereafter, cause notice of its
decision to be given. Such notice
shall be given either by personal
delivery thereof to the appellant or
to an employee of such appellant at
the address set forth in the notice
of appeal, providing such appellant
is absent from said place of
business', or by depositing such
notice in the United States Mail in a
sealed envelope, first class
registered or certified mail, postage
prepaid, return receipt requested,
addressed to the appellant at said
address or to such other address of
the appellant as may be filed with or
known to the City Clerk. Service by
mail shall be deemed to have been
completed at the time of deposit in a
facility,of the United States Post
Office Department.
(h) Disposition of Application Fee Upon
Renewal. If an applicant is denied a
permit pursuant to this Section
after paying the required application
fee, the City shall retain the amount
of *150.00 as reimbursement for the
cost of- making an investigation, and
the remainder of the application fee
shall be returned to the applicant.
(i) Terms and Renewal of Permit. Any
permit issued pursuant to this
Section shall be valid for a period
of one year unless revoked by the
City Manager. Upon the expiration of
such permit and written request by
the applicant, the City Manager shall
renew the psr'mit within ten (10)
days of such request if the factual
-5-
information upon which the original
application was granted remains
unchanged and there has been no
violation of this chapter.
(j) Revocation and Appeal. The City
Manager shall, at all times, have the
power to revoke any permit granted
hereunder for cause. In the event
the City Manager determines that
there is cause for the revocation of
any permit hereunder, the City
Manager shall immediately notify the
applicant thereof; in which event the
applicant shall immediately cease and
desist from any further, activities
under said permit. The applicant
shall have the right to appeal such
order to the City Council within five
(5) days after receipt of such cease
and desist order: Upon receipt of
such appeal, the City Council shall
set the matter for public hearing at
its next regular meeting. At such
public hearing, the City Council
shall take evidence both in support
of and in opposition to said cease
and desist order. After hearing all
of such evidence, the City Council
shall have the power to either revoke
said cease and desist order, or to
confirm same. Grounds of revocation
shall be; (i) operation contrary to
law; (ii) participation in practices
described in Section 15 -46(a) by
non - licensed persons at the business
premises; (iii) submittal of false
information on the application or
during proceedings pertaining to such
application; (iv) conviction (during
the period while a permit is in
effect or within the 5 years previous
thereto) of a crime involving
dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or moral
turpitude.
(k) Nuisance Abatement. Any business,
building or structure within which
such business is being operated
contrary to the provisions of this
ordinance, and any use of land,
building or premises within which a
business is being conducted, operated
or maintained contrary to the
-6-
provisions of this ordinance, and the
same is hereby declared unlawful and
a public nuisance, the City Attorney
shall, upon order of the City
Council, immediately take action for
the abatement, removal and enjoinment
in the manner provided by law.
(1) Penalties. Any person violating any
of the provisions or failing to
comply with any of the mandatory
requirements of this ordinance shall
be guilty of an infraction, except as
otherwise provided in Part D
hereunder. Any person convicted of
an infraction for violation of this
ordinance is punishable by:
A. A fine not exceeding fifty
dollars ($50.00) for a first
violation; •
B. A fine not exceeding one hundred
dollars ($100.00) for a second
violation within one (1) year;
C. A fine not exceeding two hundred
dollars ($200.00) for a third
violation within one (1) year.
D. Each violation after the third
violation during one (1) year
shall constitute a misdemeanor
and shall be punishable as
prescribed by the City Code.
Each such person shall be guilty of a
separate offense for each and every
day during any portion of which any
violation of any provision of this
ordinance is committed, continued, or
permitted by any such person, and he
shall be punishable accordingly.
(m) Scope of Regulation. The provisions
of this chapter shall not be
construed to include, prohibit or
interfere with the exercise of any
religious or spiritual function of
any priest, minister, rector, or an
accredited representative of any bona
fide church or religion where such
priest, minister, rector, or
accredited representative holds a
-7- -
certificate of credit, commission or
ordination under the laws of any state or
territory of the United States of America
or any voluntary religious association, and
who fully conforms to the rites and
practices prescribed by the supreme
conference, convocation, convention,
assembly, association synod of the system
or faith with which they are affiliated,
provided, however, that any church or
religious organization which is organized
for the primary purpose of conferring
certificates of commission, credit or
ordination for a price and not primarily
for the purpose of teaching and practicing
a religious doctrine or belief, is not
deemed to be a bona fide church or
religious organization.
SECTION 3. This ordinance is adopted as an urgency
measure to provide for the operation of certain designated uses
at appropriate locations and upon completion of an application
process intended to promote the public health, safety and
welfare.
SECTION 4. Severability. If any section, subsection,
subdivision, sentence, clause, phrase, or portion of this
ordinance, or the application thereof to any person or place,
is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by the
decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision
shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this
ordinance or its application to other persons or places. The
City Council hereby declares that it would have adopted this
ordinance, and each section, subsection, subdivision, sentence,
clause, phrase or portion thereof, irrespective of any fact
that any one of more sections, subsections, subdivisions,
sentences, clauses, phrases, or portions, or the application
threrof to any person or place, be declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
SECTION 5. The City Clerk is hereby authorized and
directed to certify as to the passage of this ordinance and to
give notice by causing copies of this ordinance to be posted in
three public places throughout the City.
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City
Council of the City of Cypress held on the 23rd{day: of
September, 1985.
-8-
In the event that it is hereafter judicially determined
that this ordinance may not be enacted as an urgency measure,
this ordinance shall be determined to have received its first
reading at a regular meeting of the City Council of said City
held on the 23rd day of September 1985, and finally adopted and
ordered posted at a regular meeting of said Council held on
the 15th day of October , 1985.
K
MAYOR OE'I THE CITY OF CYPRESS
ATTEST:
CITY CLERK OF THE ITY
OF CYPRESS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
) SS
COUNTY OF ORANGE )
I, DARRELL ESSEX, City Clerk of the City of Cypress,
DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance was duly adopted
at a regular meeting of the said City Council held on the 23rd
day of Septembe4 1985; by the following roll call vote:
AYES: 4 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Coronado, Lacayo, Mullen, and Partin
NOES: 1 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Kanel
ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
/yam) 1
CITY CLERK THE CITY OF CYPRESS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
I, DARRELL ESSEX, City Clerk of the City of Cypress,
DO HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance was duly
adopted at a regular meeting of the said City Council held
on the 15th day of October 1985; by the following roll call
vote:
AYES: 4 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Coronado, Lacayo, Partin and Kanel
NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: 1 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Mullen
CITY CLRK "OF THjCTY OF CYPRESS