New council member

In a three to one vote, the council members of the City of Jasper elected Kathy Avriett as the new representative for District 5 during a special meeting on Oct. 17. Avriett and Karen Pinello were the only two applicants for the seat on the council that was previously held by John Dedge.

City Manager Kent Cichon said that Dedge had turned in his letter of resignation effective Sept. 23, but that it did state a reason.

Avriett will hold the seat on the council until the end of the current term, which ends in March 2006. She will then be eligible to run for the seat during the next election.

Definition, zoning of adult entertainment businesses

An ordinance (No. 05-09-02) defining adult entertainment (sexually oriented) businesses and providing zoning for such businesses was passed during a special meeting on Sept. 27. Adult entertainment businesses include media stores, sex shops, sexually oriented cabarets and sexually oriented motion picture theaters. All such businesses may not be located within 2,500 feet of a public or private school or within 500 feet of a church, house of worship, public park, playground, day care center, existing residence or residentially zoned district.

Slot machines ordinance failed first time; will be voted on again

An ordinance prohibiting the use of slot machines and other gaming devices was voted on during the regular meeting on Oct. 11. At that time there were only four council members, due to the resignation of District 5 member John Dedge. The vote at the first reading of the ordinance was 2-2, causing it to be tabled until later.

During the regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 14, the members will again vote on the ordinance. The council now has a full slate of members with the appointment of Kathy Avriett as the representative for District 5.

The ordinance prohibits the use of slot machines and other gaming devices, including those controlled by skill. Examples of such machines include, but are not limited to, the games known as “Fruit Paradise,” “Triple Jack,” “Magical Odds,” and “Reel of Fortune.” Games such as pinball, mechanical grab machines, shooting games and other similar games are not considered slot machines.

According to Cichon, slot machines are not legal in the State of Florida, and this ordinance broadens the definition of slot machines thus prohibiting other gaming devices.

Council approves sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday; will vote to

expand area of sales at next meeting

An ordinance that allows the sale of alcohol beverages on Sunday in certain facilities was passed 5-0 on Monday, Oct. 31. The sale of alcohol beverages was permitted Monday through Saturday, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 12:01 a.m. on the following day. Ordinance No. 05-09-01 also provides for the consumption of alcoholic beverages on-site between the hours of noon Sunday and midnight Sunday for the following facilities that hold a license to sell alcoholic beverages: any restaurant open to the public that has a minimum of 1,000 square feet of service area and is equipped to serve 100 or more people full course meals at tables at one time and derives at least 51% of its gross revenue from the sale of food and non-alcoholic beverages, or facilities licensed to conduct pari-mutuel activities. These facilities must be located within one highway mile of any ramp whereby vehicles exit I-75 onto US Hwy. 129.

A new ordinance will be voted on during the regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 14, that will also allow the sale of alcoholic beverages within the city limits of Jasper. The same restrictions concerning the types of facilities that will be permitted to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday will remain the same as those listed in Ordinance No. 05-09-01.