Amusement law gets serious 1978 measure to control Schenectady strip clubs criticized by other sites By Lauren Stanforth Published 11:06 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, 2012
SCHENECTADY — In 1979, the city passed a law that was meant to make the lives of strip club owners more difficult by requiring a $100 yearly fee for putting on "entertainment" at their establishments.
Over the last 20 years, the so-called amusements law had all but been forgotten. Then recently, the city unearthed it, and officials are now faced with either altering it or running the risk of placing burdens on businesses from the Bow-Tie Movieland 6 to bars hosting open mic nights.
"They're having a tough time anyhow," said City Council member Vince Riggi, who still plays drums occasionally in his old band, Bits N Pieces. "We should encourage live music."
The law is akin to the controversial legislation the city of Albany passed on March 5 requiring any bar or restaurant that regularly hosts amplified live entertainment — like a DJ or rock band — to apply for a yearly permit at a cost of from $150 to $500. Albany's Common Council excluded religious organizations, but only their entertainment is for charitable purposes.
John Polster, Schenectady's city attorney, said nonprofits are exempt under its old legislation if the groups apply for a waiver, which no one has done in years.
Strip clubs, the real target of the 33-year-old law, have all since gone out of business in Schenectady. The legislation said how many walls should be in booths, such as those used to view dancers or adult movies, and required that women who bared their breasts had to wear pasties.
But the amusements law also covered any establishment showing motion pictures or hosting "theatrical and any other performance or exhibition designed to entertain the public."
After the Schenectady codes enforcement office dug up the legislation recently, the city attorney's office got in touch with the Bow-Tie cinema about what else the ordinance requires, specifically $200 a year for each projector and $25 for each 50 seats over 100 seats in a theater.
The Schenectady Metroplex Development Authority, which negotiated the payment in lieu of taxes the cinema enjoys, was not pleased about the news and impressed upon the city that the old law would apply to many other businesses in addition to the movie house, Polster said.
City Council members, who discussed the amusement law at their regular committee meeting Monday night, all agreed the code must be rewritten – particularly to eliminate a prescribed one-day fee of $75 for those who don't have an annual entertainment permit but want a performer on premises.................>>>>...............>>>>................Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Amusement-law-gets-serious-3422485.php#ixzz1pkdGsuXa
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March 21, 2012, 6:19am
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What, you wanna wipe out the entire annual proceeds for Bowtie?? That's it, we're picking up and leaving.
I can't believe the city is actually searching the archives for any old tax/fee/fine they can find to yank the taxpayers crank again. You don't really think these establishments are gonna pay this out of their pocket do you? It's gonna be a surcharge or price hike for the visitor/customer.
More bullcrap. Instead of taking time to search for this crap, let's eliminate it all, cut the bureaucracy and make govt leaner.
Ok......first.......these businesses are paying next to NOTHING in fees and taxes. The METROPLEX/GILLEN, along with the cheerleading daily rag, continually 'remind' the folks how 'great' these businesses are doing and how 'great' schenectady is because of them. If that is true....then these businesses can and should pay this 'amusement fee'!! As it stands now...they pay little to nothing in taxes and/or fees!!! The residents are shouldering the tax burden!!
second.....it's clearly just another money grab from the elected liberal city officials that have, with the help of METROPLEX/GILLEN, bankrupted the city.They don't have enough money to maintain what they have 'created'. There is no more money to pay for the lucrative welfare package. No more money left to get rid of the graffiti. No money left to maintain the infrastructure. No money left for their pension padding.
The liberals have dug themselves a HUGE hole and there is apparently no way to dig themselves out of it!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
my bad, I thought there were still "for profit" businesses in the city, not under the thumb of the Plex and collecting funds from govt sources. Can't believe I'd even consider that.
SCHENECTADY Old law requires fees for city entertainment Gazette Reporter
City Council members — and the owners of Movieland — were startled recently to learn that a law written to discourage sex clubs more than 30 years is still on the books. To follow it, Movieland would have to get an entertainment license and pay the city $1,879 a year. That’s not an insurmountable amount for the theater, but Corporation Counsel John Polster read the law carefully and discovered it would apply to far more than just Movieland. Facilities with a stage must pay $250 a month. Every time a bar brings in a band, it’s supposed to pay the city $75. These performance fees were once designed to make topless dancing cost-prohibitive, city offi cials said. But now that there are no such businesses in the city, council members want to get rid of the law, saying it would discourage most restaurants, bars and festivals from hiring musicians. The law has not been enforced in many years. “Obviously, this needs to be looked at,” said Councilwoman Leesa Perazzo. “As a former club owner, I would’ve stopped having live music immediately.” Councilman Vince Riggi, who used to play in a band, added: “It’s tough enough for them to hire musicians. I think we should encourage live music.” Polster agreed. “There are reasons for having this — police and fi re notification — but I’m not sure we want to add another regulatory fee. We’re trying to promote the downtown,” he said. He told Movieland offi cials that they wouldn’t have to buy a license, at least under the current rules. But council members are still considering some sort of license, which would be geared to large parties, including the block parties organized by downtown bars. .......................>>>>........................>>>>...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01001&AppName=1
It's a money grab! The city is broke and is dusting off all of the old books to find another way to 'grab' money!!! They have over spent and over taxed the residents in the city.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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