City sets adult entertainment rules

Grand Coulee’s city council adopted an ordinance at its last meeting outlining the conditions under which a person could get a license to operate an adult entertainment business in the city.

The council had gone through two moratoriums, a zoning change for such businesses and now the licensing requirements necessary to establish an adult entertainment business.

It all came about when the Wolf’s Den bar approached the city to establish a Friday night topless entertainment program at its Main Street location.

City officials and local residents were quick to respond. While the city was creating a six-month moratorium on such a business, members of the community were circulating a petition encouraging them to deny the request. The petition was returned with about 350 names on it.

After the first six-month moratorium, the city acted again, declaring a second six-month moratorium while officials worked on a zoning change that would permit such businesses, but in a location very difficult to attract customers.

City officials explained to the people that were packing the council chambers that the city couldn’t deny such a request, but that it could put such restrictions on it that it wouldn’t happen.

The last phase of the city response was in the licensing requirement.

It states that a person seeking a license must be 21 years of age, must not have a conviction for prostitution or solicitation for same, or have a felony conviction involving assault or sexually oriented behavior for the past 15 years.

The applicant must provide details of his or her history in that kind of business and for each person active in the business.

The requirements are so stringent, and the zoning so tough, the city has distanced itself from any party interested in putting in a sexually oriented adult business.

The full ordinance and all its specifications can be studied at city hall.