(A) Findings. The City Board finds that adult-oriented businesses whose services include sessions offered to adults conducted in private by members of the same or opposite sex, and employing personnel with no specialized training, are susceptible to operation in a manner contravening, subverting, or endangering the morals of the community by being the site of acts or prostitution, illicit sex, and occasions of violent crimes, and thus requiring close inspection, licensing, and regulation. The City Board also finds that control and regulation of commercial establishments of these types, in view of the abuses often perpetrated, require intensive efforts by the Sheriff’s Department and other departments and personnel of the city. As a consequence, the concentrated use of city services detracts from and reduces the level of service available to the rest of the community and thereby diminishes the ability of the city to promote the general health, welfare, morals, and safety of the community. The licensing of sexually-oriented businesses can aid in monitoring sexually oriented businesses for adverse secondary effects on the community and minimize the risk of criminal activity. The risk of criminal activity and/or public health problems can be minimized through licensing as prescribed in this chapter.
(B) Purpose.
(1) It is the purpose of this chapter to regulate adult-oriented businesses to promote the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the citizens of the city and to establish reasonable and uniform regulations to:
(a) Prevent additional criminal activity within the city;
(b) Prevent deterioration of neighborhoods and its consequent adverse effect on real estate values of properties within the neighborhood;
(c) Locate adult-oriented businesses away from residential areas, schools, churches, parks, and playgrounds; and
(d) Prevent concentration of adult-oriented businesses within certain areas of the city.
(2) The provisions of this chapter have neither the purpose nor effect of imposing a limitation or restriction on the content of any communicative materials, including adult-oriented materials. Similarly, it is not the intent nor effect of this chapter to restrict or deny access by adults to adult- oriented materials protected by the First Amendment, nor to deny access by distributors and exhibitors of adult-oriented entertainment to their intended market.
(Ord. 88, passed 7-11-2006)