The city is considering establishing a $3,500 a year privilege license for Internet cafes.
Council at its work session tonight only agreed to put the matter on its May 11 agenda when it considers a recommendation on changes to the land use ordinance to address the establishments.
The matter may be discussed at the work session held the week before the regular meeting.
The license fee and land use changes aim at addressing the establishments, in which there are seven in the city. Before their escalation there were no regulations to address them.
The planning board has been discussing the matter for several months, Planning and Development Director Amanda Jarratt told council.
Across the state, the privilege license fees range from a per machine fee to a flat rate. “We recommended $3,500 per year,” Jarratt said. “We felt like that would be middle ground compared to other areas we studied.”
Answering a question from Councilwoman Suetta Scarbrough, Jarratt said the privilege license, if passed would not be effective until the new fiscal year.
Councilman Ernest Bobbitt said the fee equals $125 per machine for an establishment which has 28 machines. “If this is a problem, let’s make it effective.”
Under the proposal to change the land use ordinance the hours of operation would be 8 a.m. to midnight with it made clear all games cease at midnight. The proposal also says there shall be no more than 20 machines in a business including video poker machines.
Other proposed regulations are:
• 500 feet from any residence or residential zoning district.
• 1,000 feet from any church, religious institution, day care center, public or private schools, public park or playground, public library, cemetery, video arcade or theater which shows G or PG movies regularly.
• 1,000 feet away from any existing electronic gaming operation, tattoo and body piercing establishment or adult and sexually oriented business.
• The machines or terminals must not be prohibited by state or federal law and must have applicable licenses and permits.
• No alcoholic beverages may be served or consumed on the premises.
The proposal also addresses parking with a requirement of 1.5 parking spaces for every two electronic gaming machines plus one space for each employee on shift of greatest employment.
Bobbitt questioned the distance requirements, saying, “I don’t think anyone would want to have an adult establishment 500 feet from their door.”
He also said he would like to see bingo parlors have the same regulations.
Jarratt told council if the new zoning changes are passed the seven establishments would become non-conforming uses. “We would not make them close down,” she said. “If one ever closed for 180 days then an Internet cafe would not be able to open back up.”
