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of gypsies that they have stolen hundreds of dollars. She believed that this type of business would open doors to potential fraud. There are several on-going criminal investigations currently in the East Bay that begin with fortunetelling shops. She said once the shops are open the people that work in these shops seem to change frequently making it difficult for law enforcement. She believed there should be a background check done; fingerprinting; and tax records pulled on everyone affiliated with the business. She said if the psychic business uses techniques such as rubbing raw eggs on people's bodies, the use of live animals, or if clients lose sight of their money or need to deposit money, there is the potential for fraud. She asked that the decision on this issue be tabled until sufficient background investigations can be done on all the people involved. Tania Smith, 2884 Foothill Oaks Terrace, said the General Plan of 1996 states that the City wants to promote family values, nurture children, and support senior citizens. The preservation and support of family values is vital in maintaining a community. Encourage commercial, recreational, social and cultural events and uses that are enriching to family life. The goal for the downtown area is to preserve it as a major focus for community activity. She said the young people need to be protected. The businesses might not give formal readings to the students, but the students can certainly buy the merchandise that might be for sale. R. Roman, 401 Main Street, asked Council to consider this further and perhaps leave the ordinance as it is currently. Being a business person he understood about wanting a business in the downtown area. But from a parent's view he did not want the business in the downtown area. He said just because you cannot see the fumes from an automobile does not mean they are not dangerous. There are dangers that go with this type of business that cannot be seen. There being no more speakers, the public hearing was closed. Ms. Dennis agreed with some of the speakers regarding the permitting process and background checks. She would like to look at the permitting process no matter what is done with the zoning. She was not comfortable with the professional level review. She felt it was better to stick with the background checks. She felt the business could be classified as a destination business. She supported keeping this type of business off of Main Street. She wanted to protect people's rights and felt the ordinance would withstand a legal challenge. By setting out the method under which these type of businesses operate, it would address a lot of the people's concerns. Mayor Tarver said the General Plan has existed for a long time. This issue has only been raised because it was thought the existing ordinance might be too restrictive. The legal department has done a great deal of work in order to tell Council what it can do to make the ordinance more defensible. He was not convinced that the ordinance needed to be changed. His preference is to make it a permitted use instead of conditional use and asked staff what the consequences would be, as long as the business did not expand into areas where people would Pleasanton City Council 26 12/01/98 Minutes