Girard council strengthens laws involving sexually oriented businesses

GIRARD — Girard City Council voted to accept changes to the city’s outdated ordinances regulating sexually oriented businesses.

What council members unanimously passed was a “thorough piece of legislation” that upholds the community’s standards and brings the city up to code with municipalities across the state, said Brian Kren, Girard’s law director, at council’s meeting tonight.

Previously, the city’s ordinances regulated only adult bookstores and adult video stores, Kren said. The strengthened ordinances are more inclusive, regulating additional establishments like adult cabarets and adult motels.

“Those types of businesses have to go through a strict application process,” Kren said. “Fortunately, we don’t have any business that would fall under this now, but anyone wishing to come to town would have to be in compliance with this [ordinance].”