Adult club stays trouble-free

Officials will see if the club has been paying personal property tax.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A Hartford adult club has been open for 25 years and has not caused any problems, officials said.
Atty. Mark Finamore, legal counsel for Hartford Township, said he was not aware of any problems at the business, Country Home, on state Route 7.
"I've been the township attorney for 15 years and there have been no formal complaints asking to have it shut down," Finamore said. "I only heard about the place through comments from local residents."
Brookfield Fire Chief Keith Barrett, whose department would be one of the first to respond to any problems at the place, said they have been sent to the establishment only once in the past several years.
"We went out for a medical call, and that was it," Barrett said.
Hartford Police Chief Lynn Manes said his department responded to two calls in the past five years.
"One call had to do with a disabled vehicle, and the other was a minor domestic disagreement with no physical contact," Manes said. "We really have had no problems there whatsoever."
Nevertheless, the Trumbull County prosecutor's office will investigate whether the club is paying all the taxes it should.
Another tax
Owners of the Country Home appear to be paying real estate taxes but may not be up to date on personal property taxes, which are due from businesses with inventory or equipment valued at more than $10,000, officials said.
"We will be consulting with the [county] treasurer's office to make sure they are in compliance like every other business in Trumbull County," said Jason Earnhart, an assistant Trumbull County prosecutor.
"We want to make sure we aren't zapping them for anything they shouldn't be zapped for."
On Wednesday, the Trumbull County Health Department sent a notice by certified mail calling on club owners to immediately apply for a spa license to operate a hot tub, or to explain why they don't believe a license is required.
The hot tub was pictured on a Web site for the club, which advertised a relaxed atmosphere for "open-minded, liberal" individuals over 21 who enjoy an "alternative lifestyle" and featured pictures of rooms with a big-screen television, beds and a leather swing. (Since a story on the club appeared in The Vindicator on Wednesday, however, the Web page has been shut down.)
The health department will likely require the club to submit plans for the tub and could require water samples, said Frank Migliozzi, director of environmental health.
What owner said
Kay Hovis, club operator, has said she did not believe she needs a license for the hot tub.
If the club does not comply, or if the tub does not meet health department standards, the department could close it to public use, Migliozzi said.
The department will also consider if the club needs a food service license, he said.
A man answering the telephone at the Country Home, who declined to give his name but identified himself as an employee, said he doesn't know why county health officials have decided to seek a permit for the hot tub.
The business has been open since 1979 and has not had any problems, he noted.
sinkovich@vindy.com siff@vindy.com