The Umatilla City Council unanimously passed a 120-day moratorium on adult businesses Tuesday night.
The moratorium will prevent any new adult businesses – defined in the document as “activities characterized by live, closed circuit, digital, or reproduced material which has an emphasis on nudity and/or sexual activity” – from opening within the city for three months, effective immediately.
Umatilla City Manager Bob Ward said the moratorium will give the city time to draft new business regulations which will likely cover adult businesses, medical marijuana dispensaries and other business and zoning concerns.
Ward has specified the moratoriums are not bans and that specific types of businesses will likely not be banned within the city.
The city is already looking at the land use codes, which will be updated for any new regulations, and the issue could go before the Umatilla Planning Commission for discussion in October. After the Planning Commission makes a recommendation, the regulations will return to the Umatilla City Council in the form of an ordinance.
Umatilla Planning Commission and city council meetings are open to the public.
In other business, the council:
• Heard a presentation on the proposed Capital Improvement Local Option Tax Levy for the Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District.
• Authorized grants from the transient room tax for the Umatilla Museum ($4,500) and the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce ($1,900).
• Discussed the planned quarterly newsletter. The city document would go out to all homes in Umatilla in November, February, May, and August of each year. More information will be presented at the Oct. 7 City Council meeting.
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