RENO, Nev.—In what was described as a "contentious meeting" of the Reno City Council held yesterday, members gave consideration to revamping the city's adult entertainment ordinance to allow strippers at the city's several gentlemen's clubs to be fully nude on stage.
However, the nudity would come at a price: liquor sales at the clubs would be prohibited within two years—a major loss for club owners, who get most of their profits from such sales—though clubs which elect to move to locations within the city's adult entertainment zones would be allowed to sell alcohol. (The city has had a moratorium on new adult businesses since last July.)
Another down side to the current proposal: signs featuring animated LED displays of strippers stripping, such as can be seen at the Wild Orchid club, would also be prohibited, apparently due to outcry from non-adult businesses located in the vicinity of such signs.
According to a follow-up article, "The operators of the Wild Orchid ... have replaced the images of scantily clad dancers on the sign with political messages aimed at the Council as the city begins its public outreach on the proposed changes to its strip club ordinance, with some messages reading, "Stop the City Council from changing Reno for the worse"; "Empty buildings help no one"; and "Which do you prefer in a strip club? Topless with liquor or full nude without liquor?"
"Club owners, their lawyers and strippers ... did not react kindly" to the proposed ordinance, reported the Reno Gazette-Journal, "challenging the city's right to limit their speech on their signs and questioning the city's proof that strip clubs cause 'secondary effects' such as drug use, prostitution and sexual assault."
"There have been more murders in the past week at the wing festival than at adult businesses," noted Leah Jones, a local lawyer.
As a result of the city council meeting, the proposed ordinance will undergo further consideration (and possible changes) following comments from local business owners and interested community groups, as well as Neighborhood Advisory Boards and the Reno Planning Commission. After the comment period is completed, the council will look at the ordinance again, hold public hearings, and possibly vote on changes before the end of the year.
