In this article:
Adult arcade.Any place to which the public is permitted or invited wherein coin-operated or slug-operated or electronically or mechanically controlled still or motion picture machines, projectors, or other image-producing devices are maintained to show images to five or fewer persons per machine at any one time, and where the images so displayed are distinguished or characterized by the depicting or describing of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas.
Adult bookstore or adult video store.A commercial establishment which as one of its principal business purposes offers for sale or rental for any form of consideration any one or more of the following:
(1) Books, magazines, periodicals, or other printed matter, or photographs, films, motion pictures, video cassettes, compact discs, or video reproductions, slides, or other visual representations which depict or describe specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(2) Instruments, devices, or paraphernalia which are designed for use in connection with specified sexual activities; or
(3) Software programs which depict or describe specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas.
A commercial establishment may have other principal business purposes that do not involve the offering for sale or rental of material depicting or describing specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas and still be categorized as an adult bookstore or adult video store. Such other business purposes will not serve to exempt such commercial establishments from being categorized as an adult bookstore or adult video store so long as one of its principal business purposes is the offering for sale or rental for consideration the specified materials that depict or describe specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas. A principal business purpose need not be a primary use of an establishment so long as it is a significant use based upon the visible inventory or commercial activity of the establishment. |
Adult cabaret.A nightclub, bar, restaurant, or similar commercial establishment which regularly features:
(1) Persons who appear in a state of nudity or semi-nudity;
(2) Live performances which are characterized by the exposure of specified anatomical areas or by specified sexual activities;
(3) Films, motion pictures, video cassettes, slides, or other photographic reproductions which are characterized by the depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas; or
(4) Persons who engage in erotic dancing or performances that are intended for the sexual interests or titillation of an audience or customers.
Adult motel.A hotel, motel, or similar commercial establishment which:
(1) Offers accommodations to the public for any form of consideration, provides patrons with closed-circuit television transmissions, film, motion pictures, video cassettes, compact discs, slides, or other photographic reproductions which are characterized by the depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas;
(2) Offers a sleeping room for rent for a period of time that is less than 15 hours; or
(3) Allows a tenant or occupant of a sleeping room to subrent the room for a period of time that is less than 15 hours.
Adult motion picture theater.A commercial establishment where for any form of consideration, films, motion pictures, video cassettes, compact discs, slides, or similar photographic reproductions are regularly shown and are characterized by the depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas.
Adult theater.A theater, concert hall, auditorium, or similar commercial establishment which regularly features persons who appear in a state of nudity or live performances which are characterized by the exposure of a specified anatomical area or by specified sexual activities.
Applicant.A person who must apply for a license by this article.
Child care facility.A building used as a day nursery, children’s boarding home, child placing agency, or other place for the care or custody of children under fifteen years of age.
Church or place of religious worship.A building in which persons regularly assemble for worship, intended primarily for purposes connected with faith, or for propagating a particular form of belief.
Director.The county health director or his designated agent.
Dwelling.A house, duplex, apartment, townhouse, condominium, mobile home, or any other building used for residential purposes, whether single-family, or multifamily, attached or detached, and regardless of whether tenant or owner occupied.
Elder care facility.A building providing for needs of elderly, whether residential or any other building used for residential purposes, whether single-family or multifamily, attached or detached, and regardless of whether tenant or owner occupied.
Employee.A person who performs any service on the premises of a sexually oriented business on a full-time, part-time, contract basis, or independent basis, whether or not the person is denominated an employee, independent contractor, agent, or otherwise, and whether or not said person is paid a salary, wage, or other compensations by the operator of said business. Employee does not include a person exclusively on the premises for repair or maintenance of the premises or equipment on the premises, or for delivery of goods to the premises, nor does employee include a person exclusively on the premises as a patron or customer.
Escort.A person who, for consideration, agrees or offers to act as a companion, guide, or date for another person or who agrees or offers to privately model lingerie or to privately perform a striptease for another person.
Escort agency.A business association which furnishes, offers to furnish, or advertises to furnish escorts as one of its primary business purposes, for a fee, tip, or other consideration.
Establishment.Includes any of the following:
(1) The opening or commencement of any sexually oriented business as a new business;
(2) The conversion of an existing business, whether or not a sexually oriented business, to any sexually oriented business;
(3) The addition of any sexually oriented business to any other existing sexually oriented business;
(4) The relocation of any sexually oriented business; or
(5) A location and place of business.
Interested party.Any person who owns or leases real property within one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet of a sexually oriented business, any official who is elected by residents of the city, but specifically excepting the applicant and the following officials elected in the county: all magistrates, the sheriff, the district attorney, and the county attorney.
Hospital.A building used to provide health services for human inpatient or outpatient medical care for the sick or injured, licensed pursuant to the Texas Hospital Licensing Law, Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated Health and Safety Code chapter
241, or operated by an agency of the federal government, or a convalescent facility licensed pursuant to Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated Health and Safety Code chapter
242.
Licensee.A person in whose name a license to operate a sexually oriented business has been issued, as well as the individual listed as an applicant on the application for a license or a person licensed under this article.
Massage parlor.Any place where a portion of the body of a person is massaged by any portion of the body of another, when either person is in a state of nudity or semi-nudity, and where such service is performed for any form of consideration. This shall not include a facility licensed under V.T.C.A., Occupations Code, chapter
455, so long as the facility is operating within the prescribed rules of that statute.
Nude model studio.Any place where a person who appears in a state of nudity or displays specified anatomical areas is provided to be observed, sketched, drawn, painted, sculpted, photographed, or similarly depicted by other persons who pay money or any form of consideration.
Nudity or a state of nudity.(1) The appearance of human bare buttocks, anus, male genitals, female genitals, pubic region, or female breasts below a horizontal line across the top of the areola at its highest point; or
(2) A state of dress which fails to opaquely cover a human buttock, anus, male genitals, female genitals, pubic region, or the female breast below a horizontal line across the top of the areola at its highest point.
Person.An individual, proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity.
Premises.The real property upon which the sexually oriented business is located, and all appurtenances thereto and buildings thereon, including, but not limited to, the sexually oriented business, the grounds, private walkways, and parking lots and/or parking garages adjacent thereto, under the ownership, control, or supervision of the licensee, as described in the application for an owner/operator permit as provided herein.
Principal business or primary business.(1) 25% or more of the gross floor area is devoted to sale, display, or inventory of items which depict or describe specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas or which are designed for use in connection with specified sexual activities; or
(2) 25% or more of the gross receipts is derived from the sale or rental of items which depict or describe specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas or which are designed for use in connection with specified sexual activities.
Public building.A building used by a federal, state, county, or local governmental agency and open to the general public.
Public park.A tract of land maintained by the federal, state, county, or local government for the recreation and enjoyment of the general public.
Residential use.A single-family, duplex, multiple-family, or mobile home park, mobile home subdivision, and campground used as a residence.
School.A building where persons regularly assemble for the purpose of instruction or education together with the playgrounds, dormitories, stadium, and other structures or grounds used in conjunction therewith.
Seminude.A state of dress in which clothing covers no more than the genitals, pubic region, and areola and/or the lower portion of the female breast, as well as portions of the body covered by supporting straps or devices.
Sexual encounter center.A business or commercial enterprise that, as one of its primary business purposes, offers for any form of consideration:
(1) Physical contact in the form of wrestling or tumbling between persons of the opposite sex; or
(2) Activities between male and female persons and/or persons of the same sex when one or more of the persons is in a state of nudity or seminude, including tub clubs or exotic tan centers.
Sexually oriented business.A sex parlor, nude studio, nude modeling studio, love parlor, adult bookstore, adult movie theater, adult video arcade, adult movie arcade, adult video store, adult cabaret, escort agency, sexual encounter center, massage parlor, sexually oriented dance hall, topless bar, or other topless establishments, adult motel, or other commercial enterprise, the primary business of which is the offering of a service or the selling, renting, or exhibiting of devices or any other items intended to provide sexual stimulation or sexual gratification to the customer whether conducted within a building, a temporary enclosure, or out of doors.
Sexually oriented dance hall.Any place:
(1) Where dancing is permitted one (1) day a week or more by a person in a state of nudity, seminudity, or simulated nudity; or
(2) That is advertised either on or off the premises as topless, a gentleman’s club, a bar, a saloon, adult entertainment, X-rated, or by any other term calculated to attract patrons with nudity, seminudity, or simulated nudity.
Sheriff.The sheriff of the county or his designated agent.
Simulated nudity.A state of dress in which any device or covering exposes to view or is worn that simulates any part of the genitals, buttocks, pubic region, or areola of the female breast.
Specified anatomical areas.(1) The human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if fully and opaquely covered;
(2) Less than completely and opaquely covered human genitals, pubic region, buttocks, or female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola.
Specified criminal activity.Any of the following offenses:
(1) Any of the following offenses as described in chapter
43 of the Texas Penal Code:
(B) Promotion of prostitution;
(C) Aggravated promotion of prostitution;
(E) Obscene display or distribution;
(G) Sale; distribution; or display of harmful material to minor;
(H) Sexual performance by a child;
(I) Employment harmful to a child;
(J) Possession of child pornography;
(K) Promotion of child pornography;
(2) Any of the following offenses as described in chapter
21 of the Texas Penal Code:
(3) Sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault as described in chapter
22 of the Texas Penal Code;
(4) Any of the following offenses as described in chapter
25 of the Texas Penal Code:
(A) Prohibited sexual conduct;
(B) Violation of a protective order or magistrates order;
(C) Sale or purchase of a child; or
(D) Harboring a runaway child;
(5) Gambling, gambling promotion, keeping a gambling place, communicating gambling information, possession of gambling devices or equipment, or possession of gambling paraphernalia as described in chapter
47 of the Texas Penal Code;
(6) Forgery, credit card abuse or commercial bribery as described in chapter
32 of the Texas Penal Code;
(7) A criminal offense as describe in chapter 481, subchapter
D of the Health and Safety Code, Texas Controlled Substance Act;
(8) A criminal offense as described in chapter
34 of the Texas Penal Code as money laundering;
(9) A criminal attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit any of the foregoing offenses;
(10) Any similar sex-related offenses to those described above under the criminal or
penal code of this state, other states, or other countries.
The fact that a conviction is being appealed shall have no effect on the disqualification of the applicant or a person residing with the applicant.
Specified sexual activities.Includes any of the following:
(1) The fondling or other erotic touching of human genitals, pubic region, buttocks, anus, or female breasts;
(2) Sex acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, including intercourse, oral copulation, or sodomy;
(3) Masturbation, actual or simulated; or
(4) Excretory functions as part of or in connection with any of the activities set forth in subsections
(1),
(2) or
(3) above.
Transfer of ownership or control of a sexually oriented business.Includes any of the following:
(1) The sale, lease, or sublease of the business;
(2) The transfer of securities which constitute an interest in the business, whether by sale, exchange, or similar means; or
(3) The establishment of a trust, gift, or other similar legal device which transfers the ownership, or control of the business, except for transfer by bequest or other operation of the law upon the death of the person possessing the ownership or control.
(Ordinance 2004-009, ex. A, sec. II, adopted 3/31/04)