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bigmann245
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i am about to be out of a job. Jacksonville crappy city council members are voting today to seriously regulate the strip clubs and adult book stores to the point of why even have them here in jacksonville. we got raided last week by the feds (that was funny) just so they can show the board what they found. which wasnt much. no drugs were found, no prostitution, nothing besides some of the girls getting fined for indecent exposure. god forbid they show but crack in their g-strings. damn and this job was freegin easy and it pays out the ass. lets hope for the best.
heres the article if you want to read it
City set to rein adult entertainment
Council vote would make clubs among most tightly regulated
By GREGORY RICHARDS, The Times-Union
For the past 20 years, Charlie Hartsock has operated the Doll House, located in Jacksonville's St. Nicholas neighborhood, where women with such stage names as "Destiny" and "Candy" bare all while cavorting before men.
In another five years, his club may be forced to find a new address.
The City Council is expected to vote tonight on legislation that would make the city's adult entertainment businesses among the most tightly regulated in Florida, according to an attorney for these firms.
The additional restrictions would force adult bookstores and nude dancing clubs that don't comply with the zoning code, like the Doll House, to move; license all dancers at adult establishments; and ban private "VIP" rooms and closed-door motion picture booths where patrons can view pornographic films.
It's the prospect of moving that is most upsetting to Hartsock. His club, across Atlantic Boulevard from Assumption Catholic Church and Bishop Kenny High School, is surrounded by houses. When he opened the Doll House, the club was the required legal distance from its neighbors. But over time, the city has increased the minimum distances between adult entertainment businesses and other types of buildings. Though the Doll House was exempted from those changes because of a grandfather clause -- three times in all, Hartsock said -- the pending legislation would strip away such special cases.
"I don't see where they have the right to do that," Hartsock said. "I don't think anybody would like that, especially when you own your own property."
Councilwoman Suzanne Jenkins, who introduced the bill, said Jacksonville's adult entertainment businesses need to be more strictly regulated to protect the vitality of the surrounding neighborhoods. Jenkins, whose Southside district includes a cluster of adult businesses along Emerson Street, Philips Highway and University Boulevard, said they are not welcome in most neighborhoods.
"These communities can have hope of a future without the adult establishments being the landmark for the area," she said. "That's what holds things down and back."
Her legislation has amassed broad support on the council and won unanimous approval from two committees. Mayor John Peyton also supports it, said his spokeswoman, Susie Wiles.
If the ordinance passes, owners of adult entertainment businesses say they will mount a court challenge.
City officials have not determined how many adult entertainment businesses would be forced to move if the legislation is adopted. But Gainesville attorney Gary Edinger, who represents many of Jacksonville's adult businesses, estimates that one of the three existing nude dance clubs and one of about two dozen adult bookstores would satisfy the new zoning requirements. He would not identify which ones.
The proposed legislation would relegate the nude dancing clubs and adult bookstores to dense commercial zones along major highways. They would also have to meet minimum distance requirements already in place, such as being located 500 feet from homes and 1,000 feet from schools and churches.
Bikini bars, where the dancers wear bathing suits and alcohol can be served, would not have to relocate.
Other aspects of the legislation are similarly far-reaching.
Bikini bars would have to obtain the same business licenses as nude dance clubs and adult bookstores. In addition, all dancers in adult establishments will be required to be licensed. Currently, there is no licensing requirement for performers.
Both straight and gay clubs would be subject to the ordinance, city attorney Dylan Reingold said.
The dancer licenses would cost $100 annually and require proof of age and a fingerprint before being issued. Any dancers with prior convictions for prostitution would not be licensed, Jenkins said.
Elsewhere on the First Coast, neither Clay nor St. Johns counties require dancer licenses. In Nassau County, topless dancers must have licenses, said Mike Mullin, the county attorney.
Angelina Spencer, executive director of the Association of Club Executives, a Naples-based trade organization for adult nightclubs, said dancer licenses add credibility.
"You're helping to legitimize the industry," she said.
But Orlando attorney Larry Walters, who represents many Jacksonville adult entertainment businesses, said dancer licenses are unnecessary if the city is going to license adult establishments.
"What they're doing is overburdening this industry to harass the employees, to intimidate these performers," Walters said. He said it is probably even unconstitutional.
Jacksonville licensed exotic dancers until 1994, when the law was changed, said Assistant Chief John Hartley of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which supports the new legislation. Hartley and several other city officials said they do not know why the dancer license requirement was dropped.
Hartley said licenses are important because they allow police to track performers between clubs and to identify underage dancers. Requiring adult businesses to be licensed also gives police greater enforcement control, he said.
"The licensing of these establishments will give us the ability to pull the license and shut down the business," Hartley said.
Some worry that the legislation hands the Sheriff's Office too much power.
Joe Serafini, manager of the Jacksonville Gold Club, an Arlington bikini bar, said police could decide to deny licenses to all the bikini bars in the city if it wanted to eliminate them.
However, the ordinance states that a license will be denied only if the new rules are not followed.
Should the council approve, the ordinance would be the second one this year governing adult establishments. In April, the council passed legislation that made minor changes to bring the city's laws in line with recent court rulings.
Though Hartsock is prepared to fight, he is already scouting land near Jacksonville International Airport for a new Doll House.
Still, he doesn't think the council is treating adult entertainment businesses fairly by adding so many new rules.
"This is a very, very big city," he said. "It's really growing. But I think we have a small-town mentality."
heres the article if you want to read it
City set to rein adult entertainment
Council vote would make clubs among most tightly regulated
By GREGORY RICHARDS, The Times-Union
For the past 20 years, Charlie Hartsock has operated the Doll House, located in Jacksonville's St. Nicholas neighborhood, where women with such stage names as "Destiny" and "Candy" bare all while cavorting before men.
In another five years, his club may be forced to find a new address.
The City Council is expected to vote tonight on legislation that would make the city's adult entertainment businesses among the most tightly regulated in Florida, according to an attorney for these firms.
The additional restrictions would force adult bookstores and nude dancing clubs that don't comply with the zoning code, like the Doll House, to move; license all dancers at adult establishments; and ban private "VIP" rooms and closed-door motion picture booths where patrons can view pornographic films.
It's the prospect of moving that is most upsetting to Hartsock. His club, across Atlantic Boulevard from Assumption Catholic Church and Bishop Kenny High School, is surrounded by houses. When he opened the Doll House, the club was the required legal distance from its neighbors. But over time, the city has increased the minimum distances between adult entertainment businesses and other types of buildings. Though the Doll House was exempted from those changes because of a grandfather clause -- three times in all, Hartsock said -- the pending legislation would strip away such special cases.
"I don't see where they have the right to do that," Hartsock said. "I don't think anybody would like that, especially when you own your own property."
Councilwoman Suzanne Jenkins, who introduced the bill, said Jacksonville's adult entertainment businesses need to be more strictly regulated to protect the vitality of the surrounding neighborhoods. Jenkins, whose Southside district includes a cluster of adult businesses along Emerson Street, Philips Highway and University Boulevard, said they are not welcome in most neighborhoods.
"These communities can have hope of a future without the adult establishments being the landmark for the area," she said. "That's what holds things down and back."
Her legislation has amassed broad support on the council and won unanimous approval from two committees. Mayor John Peyton also supports it, said his spokeswoman, Susie Wiles.
If the ordinance passes, owners of adult entertainment businesses say they will mount a court challenge.
City officials have not determined how many adult entertainment businesses would be forced to move if the legislation is adopted. But Gainesville attorney Gary Edinger, who represents many of Jacksonville's adult businesses, estimates that one of the three existing nude dance clubs and one of about two dozen adult bookstores would satisfy the new zoning requirements. He would not identify which ones.
The proposed legislation would relegate the nude dancing clubs and adult bookstores to dense commercial zones along major highways. They would also have to meet minimum distance requirements already in place, such as being located 500 feet from homes and 1,000 feet from schools and churches.
Bikini bars, where the dancers wear bathing suits and alcohol can be served, would not have to relocate.
Other aspects of the legislation are similarly far-reaching.
Bikini bars would have to obtain the same business licenses as nude dance clubs and adult bookstores. In addition, all dancers in adult establishments will be required to be licensed. Currently, there is no licensing requirement for performers.
Both straight and gay clubs would be subject to the ordinance, city attorney Dylan Reingold said.
The dancer licenses would cost $100 annually and require proof of age and a fingerprint before being issued. Any dancers with prior convictions for prostitution would not be licensed, Jenkins said.
Elsewhere on the First Coast, neither Clay nor St. Johns counties require dancer licenses. In Nassau County, topless dancers must have licenses, said Mike Mullin, the county attorney.
Angelina Spencer, executive director of the Association of Club Executives, a Naples-based trade organization for adult nightclubs, said dancer licenses add credibility.
"You're helping to legitimize the industry," she said.
But Orlando attorney Larry Walters, who represents many Jacksonville adult entertainment businesses, said dancer licenses are unnecessary if the city is going to license adult establishments.
"What they're doing is overburdening this industry to harass the employees, to intimidate these performers," Walters said. He said it is probably even unconstitutional.
Jacksonville licensed exotic dancers until 1994, when the law was changed, said Assistant Chief John Hartley of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which supports the new legislation. Hartley and several other city officials said they do not know why the dancer license requirement was dropped.
Hartley said licenses are important because they allow police to track performers between clubs and to identify underage dancers. Requiring adult businesses to be licensed also gives police greater enforcement control, he said.
"The licensing of these establishments will give us the ability to pull the license and shut down the business," Hartley said.
Some worry that the legislation hands the Sheriff's Office too much power.
Joe Serafini, manager of the Jacksonville Gold Club, an Arlington bikini bar, said police could decide to deny licenses to all the bikini bars in the city if it wanted to eliminate them.
However, the ordinance states that a license will be denied only if the new rules are not followed.
Should the council approve, the ordinance would be the second one this year governing adult establishments. In April, the council passed legislation that made minor changes to bring the city's laws in line with recent court rulings.
Though Hartsock is prepared to fight, he is already scouting land near Jacksonville International Airport for a new Doll House.
Still, he doesn't think the council is treating adult entertainment businesses fairly by adding so many new rules.
"This is a very, very big city," he said. "It's really growing. But I think we have a small-town mentality."
