Getting permits issued can always be a difficult task, however, the City Council recently made changes to the permits required for Dance Halls, Fortune Telling, and Dating Services in an effort to reduce the amount of necessary procedures for authorization.

Previous to the recent amendment, any party wishing to seek one of these three permits started by submitting an application which was then followed by a background investigation to determine the adherence to Turlock Municipal Code, State and Federal Law. Once the background process was completed, the permit would be taken to the City Council for final determination.

According to State and Federal Law, however, the Chief of Police of any given City, or his/her designee, is allowed to authorize the determination as to approval or denial of such permits, without City Council members having to vote on such matters.

The amendment which was passed at the June 26th City Council meeting removed the necessity of Council review for such permits to relieve the applicants of the additional unnecessary processes associated with Council preparation and presentation.

Due to this amendment, the Police Department will continue to be responsible for vetting applicants and completing adequate and complete investigatory, background, audit and records procedures to ensure compliance in the management of permitting processes for these permits. With the amended code, such permitting would be authorized by the Police Department and appeal authority, should an appeal be requested, would fall upon City Manager Roy Wasden.

The goal of voting in favor of the amendment was to ensure that the City of Turlock works with the business community to help provide prompt and efficient communication, support, and service to assist businesses in being successful.

The application and permitting processes, as well as the fee schedule for such permits, however, will remain constant.