Anyone operating a game room, pool hall or a business with video games or pool tables in Commerce faces new regulations following last Monday night’s city council meeting.
The council passed its ominous-sounding “Ordinance To Provide For the Regulations of Pool Rooms, Billiard Rooms, Bowling Alleys, Games and Game Rooms, To Provide for Definitions, Licenses and Permits, Regulations Regarding Operations, Regulatory Fees, Rules of Conduct, and for Other Purposes” with no discussion — the highlight of an 18-minute meeting.
Essentially, the ordinance defines, regulates and establishes fees for the operation of video games and pool tables in restaurants and convenience stores as well as businesses whose primary activity is game-based recreation.
The ordinance requires a $500 annual permit per “regulated gaming machine,” a fee designed to discourage the use of video poker or other gambling games.
Game rooms will face a $300 annual fee plus $10 per machine, while a pool hall or bowling alley will pay the same annual fee plus a $50 fee for each pool table or bowling lane.
The fees will not be pro-rated or transferred should ownership of the establishment change.
Pool tables are recreational. They are intended to have fun with. While some people may gamble, most do not. You can gamble about near anything. You could have bet that Obama would lose and by even stating that you could be charged with gambling.
This ordinance is one more way to further milk the downtown merchants who are struggling to make it. They are already being stuck with over the top utility bills and now a silly permit to have a pinball machine or a pool table. What else from buzzy and the boys? I think I saw a gumball machine, is there a permit fee for that too?
downtown Commerce?
Sounds like a new TAX to me. Maybe the COC will become like New York and TAX non-diet beverages, taxi rides and massages. I doubt any new taxes will be levied against adult beverages, though.
Is the city of Commerce so afraid of change. They try every thing in the good old boys book to stop progress. Does anybody in town know that Walgreens has decided not to open the store? Thank you City Inspectors.
More job opportunities down the drain, for what?
I don't get it, maybe I'm stupid. I would like to see the city have to cut there budget and start with over paid under worked city employees. In place of raising the price of all of the city utilities to all the working class folks.
When was the "public" going to be told?
Now the public has been "told."
That would not be good if it didn't.
Yet the city workers are still throwing the football in the old CVS store when they are being paid to do what? Here we go again, waste not want not!