Wrong Forum
Objectors to resale ordinance to planners have no say
Comments (...)The Morris Planning Commission had a large audience Wednesday, most of whom were there to object to a possible ordinance regulating inventory for pawn shops and second-hand stores.
Last month, the commission was asked for guidance on in what zoning pawn shops and second-hand stores would be permitted. If there was to be a change, it was needed for a possible future ordinance regulating the selling and purchasing of second-hand items. It was on Wednesday's agenda for more discussion.
More than 40 people turned out for the meeting regarding this topic to express their concerns regarding such an ordinance in general. No action regarding this was taken by the Planning Commission.
The city attorney's office was asked by local law enforcement to draft an ordinance. The ordinance is to make sure items that could be stolen are reported to police. The idea is to come up with an identification and logging system for items sold to local establishments so items can be tracked.
Retailers came out in numbers to object out of fear Morris would be passing the same ordinance Aurora has, which includes numerous requirements that would be a burden on business owners, said Bob Schubert, president of the Morris Retail Committee.
City Attorney Scott Belt told the crowd the city is not taking on Aurora's ordinance.
"The city has not issued a draft ordinance for consideration. It's all being discussed," Belt said.
An ordinance from Aurora was given to Bill Cheshareck, Building and Zoning Officer, several months ago as an example of what other communities have done. When information was requested of him by Schubert, Cheshareck said he shared it following the Freedom of Information Act.
The ordinance was copied and given to all the retailers, many of whom attended the meeting fearing it was what Morris would be approving.
"We have 20,000 items in our store we'd have to take pictures of, there's no way we'd survive," said Schubert, owner of the Morris Antique Emporium. He said there are 19 stores in downtown Morris, 31 in the whole city limits, that would be affected by such an ordinance.
Aurora's ordinance requires a digital photo of a photo ID of the seller of the item be taken, the date and time of the transaction be recorded, and the logging of a description of the article and a digital photo of each item purchased by the pawn shop or second hand shop, which would include antique and consignment stores. It also includes a waiting period for certain items that are required to be kept for 30 days.
"I don't want to see Morris become like Ottawa with empty stores, or Coal City with empty stores. We're very fortunate, we only have three empty buildings in Morris," Schubert said.
Numerous others spoke objecting to such a "burdening" ordinance, stating the expense of it would put them out of business between paying someone to do all the logging, developing film and all the time it would require.
COMMITTEE'S CONCERN
Although Schubert said he was instructed to attend the Planning Commission meeting by Mayor Richard Kopczick and Chief Brent Dite, the audience was told the proper outlet would be the Judiciary and License Committee.
The subject came before the commission because of the suggestion pawn shops and second-hand stores should be considered as Conditional Permitted Uses in Business-2 and Business-3 zoning, rather than just Permitted Use as they are now.
It was decided not to go this route, which was why it was on the commission's agenda. But as far as what that ordinance would require, the commission does not have any control of that, the Judiciary and License Committee does, Belt said.
Because of the amount of people who attended, Belt said their questions and concerns would be addressed and taken to the Judiciary and License Committee, but they were still encouraged to attend that future committee meeting themselves.
This angered numerous audience members, some of whom were dealers at the Morris Antique Emporium, but who do not live in the area and traveled for the meeting. Audience members, Belt and Chairman Roger Gilbertson argued this issue for quite some time before the meeting shifted from this to suggestions for the ordinance, which Belt noted for the committee and council's reference.
"It seems the police department is trying to get us to do their work for them," said one of the Emporium's dealers. "Why not just give us a list of stolen items?"
Belt said it was about balancing the needs of the police department and the business community. Police reports indicated there are downtown businesses that purchased stolen items, he said.
Schubert said second-hand and pawn shops need to be separated.
"If you want an ordinance for pawn shops or want to do it for jewelery or high-end stuff, but not for second-hand stores," he said.
Audience members suggested including specific items to be inventoried in the ordinance, such as gold and silver coins, jewelry, guns, electronics and antique guns.
Morris Coin Shop owner Phil Anderson objected to the coins and precious metals being a part of an ordinance.
"We do millions a year in gold and silver coins . . . to purchase things like that and then hold them for 30 days, I just cannot do it," he said. If someone sold him so many ounces in gold he has to sell when the market is good, he continued. There's no way to tell what the market would be in 30 days from the purchase.
Future discussion will take place at the Judiciary and License Committee. That next meeting has not been scheduled yet.
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