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Ms. Seto said staff looked at some of the advertisement that is used for psychic <br />businesses. On most of the advertisements for the larger national psychic hotlines there is a <br />disclaimer, stating the customer must be 18 years of age or have their parents' permission. The <br />smaller ads or more localized ads do not show the disclaimer. She contacted other cities; they <br />did not have any information regarding this issue. Staff therefore believes the national hotline <br />psychics were doing it more for protection, for itself and for the customer. <br /> <br /> Mayor Tarver believed the proper place for this type of business is in a planned unit <br />development non-residential zone in the City. <br /> <br /> Ms. Seto said staff has given its best recommendation where their uses are permissible, <br />given what the practioners, other cities, and the community have said at the meetings: <br /> <br /> Mayor Tarver understood there are certain businesses that can or cannot go downtown. <br />Are these businesses going to complain because they are not allowed downtown? <br /> <br /> Ms. Seto said the businesses on that list are non-compatible downtown uses, but the <br />extrasensory consultants are stating that they run their business much in the same way as an <br />office runs. Therefore the issue of non-compatibility is hard to determine. <br /> <br /> Mayor Tarver did not understand how the psychics can make an argument in court stating <br />the City is not allowing them flee speech. He did not care if the businesses were in the City <br />of Pleasanton, but they should operate in non-residential area. <br /> <br /> Mr. Roush said all Councils are faced with this difficulty, whether it is in context of the <br />extrasensory consultant business or an adult book store business. The struggle is with the United <br />States and California Supreme Courts' decisions on this area; they take away the local <br />governments' discretion in these areas. Staff has tried to lay out the areas and restrictions that <br />it thinks has the best chance of surviving a legal challenge. If Council decides to limit areas <br />where these uses can locate, staff will do its best to uphold Council's wish. Certainly if the area <br />is more restricted than what is proposed staff would do its best to uphold this in court, should <br />it be challenged. Staff would be more comfortable, however, if Council introduced an ordinance <br />something similar to what is being proposed. <br /> <br /> Ms. Michelotti said the City has made a concerted effort to allow these businesses in <br />certain areas under a conditional use permit. She asked if it was possible to make this a <br />permitted use with restrictions and would this hold up to legal challenge. She was told it <br />probably would not. She asked staff to explain the conditional use permit process. <br /> <br /> Ms. Seto said the conditional use permit process is typically used in situations where it <br />is expected that the use will have impacts on the community that need to be addressed through <br />individualized conditions. In the extrasensory context the requirements will be set up in advance <br />where staff has already addressed what it perceives will be the impacts. If the impacts are <br /> <br />Pleasanton City Council 19 12/01/98 <br />Minutes <br /> <br /> <br />