Ordinance 03-034 Adopts Business Registration System CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY
SPOKANE COUNTY, WASHINGTON
ORDINANCE NO. 34
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON,
ADOPTING A BUSINESS REGISTRATION SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF SPOKANE
VALLEY.
WHEREAS, state law authorizes cities to adopt regulations for registering businesses
operating within their corporate boundaries; and
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to establish a registration system which will assist
the City in identifying the composition of the commercial community to enhance the marketing,
development and exchange of information between the City and its businesses; and
WHEREAS, business registration is intended to collect and maintain information as
opposed to raise revenue.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Spokane Valley, Washington, do
ordain as follows:
Section 1. Defmitions. For the purposes of this Ordinance, the following definitions
shall apply: •
A. "Business" means all kinds of vocations, occupations, professions, enterprises,
establishments, industries, services and all other kinds of activities and matters that are
conducted for private profit or benefit on any premises in the City of Spokane Valley.
•
B. "City"means the City of Spokane Valley, Spokane County, Washington.
C. "Engaging in business" means commencing, conducting, or continuing in
business, the exercise of corporate or franchise powers, as well as liquidating a business when
the liquidators thereof hold themselves out to the public as conducting such business.
D. "Person" means any individual, corporation, company, firm,joint stock company,
partnership, joint venture, trust, business trust, club, association, society, or any group of
individuals acting as a unit or otherwise.
E. "Tax year" means the calendar year commencing January 1 and ending on
December 31. .
Section 2. Business Registration Required. On or before De c. 31A603, every
Person engaging in business or continuing business during the calendar year shall register with
the City by completing a licensing form and, if required, pay a registration fee. If more than one
business is located on a single premise, separate registrations shall be required for each separate
business conducted.
Section 3. Exemptions.
A. The following entities and activities shall be exempt from the provisions of this
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Ordinance:
1. All governmental entities including public and private elementary,
secondary and high schools;
2. Persons who deliver newspapers and periodicals;
3. Persons who solicit orders from retail establishments for
the delivery and sale of goods, wares and merchandise for resale unless
the person's principal place of business is located within the City;
4. Any Person or organization conducting a nonprofit enterprise when the
enterprise is operated without private profit, for a public, charitable,
educational, literary, fraternal or religious purpose; and
5. Minors engaged in babysitting.
B. The casual sale of items of personal property where the Person conducting such
sale is not regularly engaged in the business of selling items of personal property (for example,
garage sales, service agency bake sales).
Section 4 . Application Procedure.
A. Application for the business registration shall be made in writing to the City Clerk
upon a form provided by the City. The application shall state the name, type and address of the
business or businesses, the owner, operator or agent and such other information as requested by
the City Clerk.
B. If the applicant is a partnership, the application must be made by one of the
partners; if a corporation, by one of the officers thereof; if a foreign corporation, partnership or
nonresident individual, by the resident agent or local manager of the corporation, partnership or
individual.
C. The City Clerk shall maintain a record of all registered businesses.
Section 5. Fee—Terms—Penalty.
A. Commencing January 1, 2004, business registration shall occur on a calendar year
basis and shall expire on December 315t of the year for which the registration was issued.
B. No fee shall be charged for business registration during the 2003 calendar year.
Thereafter, the City Council may establish a registration fee by Resolution.
Section 6. Transfer or Sale of Business — New License Required. Upon the sale or
transfer of any business, the registration issued to the prior owner or transferor shall
automatically expire on the date of such sale or transfer and the new owner intending to continue
such business in the City shall apply for a new registration pursuant to the procedures established
by this Ordinance.
Section 7. Penalty for Violation. Any Person, as defined herein, and the officers,
directors, managing agents, or partners of any corporation, firm, partnership or other
organization or business violating or failing to comply with any provisions of this ordinance shall
be subject to a Class II Civil Infraction pursuant to RCW Chapter 7.80.
Section 8. Severabili . If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance
should be held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such
invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of any other
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section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance.
Section 9. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect five (5)
days after publication of the Ordinance Summary.
PASSED by the City Council this f l day of -3kie, 2003.
1
Mayor, Michael DeVlermng
ATTE
C2:4Z-Z Thee-dA-c.i
Interim City Clerk, Ruth Muller
Approved As To Form:
...21111Vi
.
717. City no _ey, Stai ey M. Schwartz
Date of Publica •n: ,j t,r..c4 Z ', zoos
Effective Date: /6/%t 3/ d3
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