Agenda Packets - 2003/06/23 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Pawn Report June 23, 2003 Page 2 identified—either north of Highway 10 or south of County Road H in the Mustang Drive/Circle industrial area. To establish an overlay district, all that would be needed is to revise proposed Ordinance 711 to reflect the creation of the new “Pawn Overlay District” with associated supporting language. There was some question at the worksession as to whether or not the Planning Commission should review and make a recommendation regarding the overlay provisions if the Council does in fact determine an overlay is the preferred approach. My response was and is that the Planning Commission had considered the possibility of an overlay district prior to making their recommendation and no further review is necessary, unless the Council feels additional Commission input would be beneficial. At the worksession the City Council also discussed the proposed fee structure for Pawnshops, referring to the recommendations made by the Planning Commission, which proposed a $5,000 annual license fee, a $10,000 operations bond, a $750 investigation fee and a $1.50 per-transaction fee. There was some concern however that the fees as proposed by the Planning Commission would not be enough to cover the added administrative and potential investigative costs to the police department. The Council examined fees charged by other communities and indicated a preference to be more in line with communities such as Spring Lake Park, Columbia Heights and Blaine, which charge an annual fee of $10,000, $12,000 and $15,000 respectively. While Blaine’s fee is the highest of those communities polled, they do not charge a “per transaction” fee. One other issue discussed at the June worksession was the possibility of requiring background checks on ALL pawn employees in addition to the license holder and manager(s). I contacted the City Attorney regarding this question and his response was that such a requirement could be considered a violation of one’s human rights and civil liberties. The Attorney recommends against imposing such a requirement. Last, Mr. David Przetycki, the individual currently interested in opening a pawnshop at Moundsview Square, has drafted a letter dated June 16, 2003, which I am including for your reference. Recommendation: Review and discuss all of the issues associated with Pawnshops and direct staff to provide more information or to place the item on the agenda for further discussion or consideration. _____________________________________ James Ericson Interim City Clerk/Administrator Attachment: 1. Letter from Mr. Przetycki 2. Draft Ordinances 711 & 712