05-11-15 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 10 AMUSEMENTS OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, BY ENACTING CERTAIN REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF GAME ROOMS, IN COORDINATION WITH HARRIS COUNTY; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; CONTAINING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; FINDING COMPLIANCE WITH THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW; PROVIDING THAT ANY PERSON VIOLATING THE TERMS OF THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE DEEMED GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR AND UPON CONVICTION SHALL BE FINED IN A SUM NOT TO EXCEED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS; PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION HEREOF; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE HEREOF. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA PORTE, TEXAS: Section 1 : That Chapter 10AmusementsCoin Operated Machines1Generally of the Code of Ordinances, La Porte, Texas, is hereby amended in its entirety and shall hereinafter read as follows: DIVISION 1. - GENERALLY Sec. 10-31. - Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Amusement redemption machine means a recreational machine, including eight-liner machines, that provides the user with an opportunity to receive something of value other than a right to replay and in which credits, or the equivalent thereof, are accumulated when: A particular configuration of like symbols is displayed in a random fashion by the machine; symbols or numbers are matched to a randomly selected symbol or number determined by the machine; a combination of cards is arrived at and valued in a traditional hierarchy for purposes of poker; or a combination of cards is arrived at and points assigned for purposes of blackjack. Amusement redemption machine means any electronic, electromechanical, or mechanical contrivance designed, made, and adopted for bona fide amusement purposes that rewards the player exclusively with noncash merchandise, prizes, toys, or novelties, or a representation of value redeemable for those items, that have a wholesale value available from a single play of the game or device of not more than ten times the amount charged to play the game or device once, or $5.00, whichever amount is less. Coin-operated machine means every machine or device of any kind or character, other than an an eight- liner, which is operated by or with coins, or metal slugs, tokens or checks; "music coin-operated machines" and "skill or pleasure coin-operated machines" as those terms are defined in this section, shall be included in such definition. Eight-liner means a coin-operated machine or contrivance capable of being used for games of chance, including but not limited to a Tic Tac Toe eight-liner or video poker machine or other contrivance or