HEMET, Calif. – A stricter ordinance to govern adult-oriented businesses by the Hemet City Council elicited applause from an appreciative crowd on Tuesday. According to a recent report, the council unanimously approved the ordinance, which members say tightens an existing ordinance by restricting where adult-oriented businesses could locate and requiring people who work in the sex industry to obtain licenses before they do so in the Southern California city.
According to the new ordinance, all prospective adult businesses must obtain a proper license, which allows the city to conduct background checks on all employees. The ordinance also prohibits such businesses from operating within residential communities such as churches, day care centers and parks. According to a Hemet Press-Enterprise report, the Hemet ordinance had previously implemented a distance requirement of 600 feet.
There are currently no adult-oriented businesses in Hemet, but the city officials saw the adoption as a pre-emptive move. During the board meeting, Assistant City Attorney Thomas Jex stressed the importance of adopting regulations now so that “the city will be ready when such businesses decide to open in Hemet.”
“I would love to see it go further, but I get a good feeling about the council,” local resident, Lois Cowan, told the Press-Enterprise.
