(a)
Purpose.
It is the purpose of this chapter to regulate sexually oriented businesses in order to promote the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the citizens of the city; to establish reasonable and uniform regulations to prevent the deleterious location and concentration of sexually oriented businesses within the city; and to minimize the deleterious secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses both inside such businesses and outside in the surrounding communities. The provisions of this chapter have neither the purpose nor effect of imposing a limitation or restriction on the content of any communicative materials or performances, including sexually oriented materials or performances. Similarly, it is neither the intent nor effect of this chapter to restrict or deny access by adults to sexually oriented materials or performances protected by the First Amendment, or to deny access by the distributors and exhibitors of sexually oriented entertainment to their intended market. Neither is it the intent nor effect of this chapter to condone or legitimize the distribution of obscene material.
(b)
Findings.
Based on evidence concerning the adverse secondary effects of adult uses on the community presented in hearings and in reports made available to the council, and on findings incorporated in the cases of City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc., 475 U.S. 41 (1986), Young v. American Mini Theatres, 426 U.S. 50 (1976), Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc., 501 U.S. 560 (1991), City of Erie v. Pap's A.M., TDA "Kandyland", 529 U.S. 277 (2000), and City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc. 121 S. Ct. 1223 (2001) and on studies in other communities including, but not limited to, Phoenix, Arizona; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Houston, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Amarillo, Texas; Garden Grove, California; Los Angeles, California; Whittier, California; Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Cleveland, Ohio; and Beaumont, Texas; and also on findings from the Texas City Attorneys Association's 2008 commissioned study and the report of the Attorney General's Working Group On The Regulation Of Sexually Oriented Businesses, (June 6, 1989, State of Minnesota), the council finds:
(1)
Sexually oriented businesses lend themselves to ancillary unlawful and unhealthy activities that are generally uncontrolled by the operators of the establishments. Further, mechanisms are needed to make the owners of these establishments responsible for the activities that occur on their premises.
(2)
Certain employees of some sexually oriented businesses defined in this chapter engage in higher incidence of certain types of illicit sexual behavior than employees of other establishments.
(3)
Sexual acts, including, but not limited to, masturbation, and oral and anal sex, occur at sexually oriented businesses, especially those which provide private or semi-private booths or cubicles for viewing films, videos, or live sex shows.
(4)
Offering and providing such space encourages such activities, which creates unhealthy conditions, undesirable incidental effects and increases the possibility of the spread of communicable diseases.
(5)
Persons often frequent certain sexually oriented businesses for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity within the premises of such sexually oriented businesses.
(6)
Engaging in physical contact at a sexually oriented business is not a form of expression protected by the First Amendment.
(7)
At least 50 communicable diseases may be spread by activities that occur in sexually oriented businesses, including, but not limited to, syphilis, gonorrhea, human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV-AIDS), genital herpes, hepatitis B, non A and non B amebiasis, salmonella infections and shigella infections.
(8)
From 1999 to 2002 there has been an increasing cumulative number of reported cases of AIDS caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States - 25,174 in 1999, 25,522 in 2000, 25,643 in 2001, and 26,464 in 2002, compared to 1982 when only 600 cases were reported.
(9)
The number of cases of early (less than one year) syphilis in the United States reported annually has risen, with 33,613 cases reported in 1982 and 45,200 through November of 1990.
(10)
The number of cases of gonorrhea in the United States reported annually remains at a high level, with over one-half million cases being reported in 1990.
(11)
The surgeon general of the United States in his report of October 22, 1986, has advised the American public that AIDS and HIV infection may be transmitted through sexual contact, intravenous drug abuse, exposure to infected blood and blood components, and from an infected mother to her newborn.
(12)
According to the best scientific evidence, AIDS and HIV infection, as well as syphilis and gonorrhea, are principally transmitted by sexual acts.
(13)
Sanitary conditions in some sexually oriented businesses are unhealthy, in part, because the activities conducted there are unhealthy, and, in part, because of the unregulated nature of the activities and the failure of the owners and the operators of the facilities to self-regulate those activities and maintain those facilities.
(14)
Numerous studies and reports have determined that semen is found in the areas of sexually oriented businesses where persons view "adult" oriented films.
(15)
Numerous studies and reports have determined that areas around sexually oriented businesses experience increased criminal activity, including increased property crimes, violent crimes and sex crimes.
(16)
Numerous studies and reports have determined that retail-only sexually oriented business (business that sell or rent goods that can be viewed or consumed offsite such as adult video stores, adult book stores, and adult novelty stores) create a negative secondary effect of reducing surrounding property values as well as increasing crime in the surrounding area;
(18)
Sexually oriented businesses have operational characteristics that should be reasonably regulated in order to protect those substantial governmental concerns.
(19)
A reasonable licensing procedure is an appropriate mechanism to place the burden of that reasonable regulation on the owners and the operators of the sexually oriented businesses. Further, such a licensing procedure will place an incentive on the operators to see that the sexually oriented business is operated in a manner consistent with the health, safety and welfare of its patrons and employees, as well as the citizens of the city. It is appropriate to require reasonable assurances that the licensee is the actual operator of the sexually oriented business, fully in possession and control of the premises and activities occurring therein.
(20)
Removal of doors on adult booths and requiring sufficient lighting and visibility by a manager or third party on premises with adult booths advances a substantial governmental interest in curbing the illegal and/or unsanitary sexual activity occurring therein.
(21)
Requiring licensees of sexually oriented businesses to keep information regarding current employees and certain past employees will help reduce the incidence of certain types of criminal behavior by facilitating the identification of potential witnesses or suspects and by preventing minors from working in such establishments.
(22)
The disclosure of certain information by those persons ultimately responsible for the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the sexually oriented business, where such information is substantially related to the significant governmental interest in the operation of such uses, will aid with the prevention of the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
(23)
It is desirable in the prevention of the spread of communicable diseases to obtain a limited amount of information regarding certain employees who may engage in the conduct that this chapter is designed to prevent or who are likely to be witnesses to such activity.
(24)
The fact that an applicant for an adult use license has been convicted of a sexually related crime leads to the rational assumption that the applicant may engage in that conduct in contravention of this chapter.
(25)
The barring of such individuals from the management of adult uses for a period of years serves as a deterrent to and prevents conduct which leads to the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and sexually related crimes.
(26)
There is an increasing commercial exploitation of human sexuality by owners and operators of sexually oriented businesses where alcoholic beverages are served or offered for sale for consumption on the premises, or where alcoholic beverages are permitted to be consumed.
(27)
That such exploitation takes place in the form of employing or permitting persons to perform or exhibit their nude or semi-nude bodies to other person as an inducement to such other persons to purchase alcoholic beverages or to consume alcoholic beverages while on the premises.
(28)
Such exploitation is further often accompanied by serious and dangerous criminal activity, such as prostitution, disorderly conduct, assaults, and the like.
(29)
That the direct result of such exploitation in the context of the location where it is permitted (i.e. where alcohol is serve or consumed in a sexually oriented business) threatens the preservation of property values of adjoining and adjacent properties and neighborhoods.
(30)
The general welfare, health, morals and safety of the citizens of the city will be promoted by the enactment of this chapter.
(Ordinance 08-12-107, secs. 1-4, ex. A, I, adopted 12/16/08)