Officials Target’s New CIRILLA’s Adult Boutique in Jefferson City
By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer
PaulG@JRLChartsOnline.com
JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Right Wing conservatives in the city of Jefferson City are aiming to pass new regulations on retail stores that carry adult pleasure products.
Conservatives are pursuing a change in the law to make it harder for not only the new CIRILLA’S Adult Boutique but similar stores that attempt to open in Missouri’s capital city. The Jefferson City News Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/r9DQps ) a group of opponents is preparing to circulate a petition to amend the city’s ordinance on adult-oriented businesses.
Their proposal would create a tighter definition of pornography and change the law’s definition of an adult business. Jefferson City’s existing law requires that more than one-third of a store’s sales be adult items to be defined as an adult store. City officials say only about one-quarter of the stock offered by the new store consists of adult items. Jan Kruse, a supporter of the proposed ordinance change, has protested outside the new store and spoken about the issue at City Council meetings.
Petitions to amend Jefferson City ordinances must come from a committee of five voters. Kruse said such a committee has been formed on the adult business issue, and she hopes the group will begin working on a petition in the next several days. “It’s coming together,” Kruse said.
The proposed petition would be submitted to the city clerk and city attorney for review to ensure it follows the proper format. If approved, the petition could then be circulated. Supporters would then have to secure signatures from about 1,200 registered Jefferson City voters. If they succeed, the petition would advance to the City Council, which could either accept the change as a new ordinance or reject it and therefore send it to the ballot for voters.
Assistant city attorney Drew Hilpert said a common problem with petitions is how the signatures are gathered. Petitioners cannot simply leave the document in a public place to be signed, but must witness people putting their names on the paper. If the law is changed, Hilpert said, existing businesses would be “grandfathered” in and allowed to operate under the existing codes.
Neighboring retail store owners reacted with indifference back in early July to a new store that opened in Jefferson City on Missouri Boulevard. CIRILLA’S opened at the beginning of June 2011 and they offer a variety of adult clothing and sex oriented items. Though it does not meet the statutory definition of an adult store there, the establishment is quite possibly the first of that type of store in Jefferson City.
That status has brought protests from several residents. Jan Kruse and Julia Ruengert protested outside the store back in July and told local television station KOMU 8, that they would protest the store again. The women also said they planned to begin a petition to close or move the store.
When asked what their major issue was with CIRILLA’S, the women told KOMU 8 “We had no idea that they were selling sexual items or that they were an Adult Boutique shop. “I thought it was a regular boutique,” said Kruse.
CIRILLA’S does have a sign on it’s door that says only 18 and older are allowed inside, something the city said the store volunteered to do on its own. KOMU 8 was able to speak with one of the other business owners in the same plaza as CIRILLA’S who said he did not mind the store was in operation. He also said he thinks the protesters brought the Adult Boutique more business than it’s seen since it opened a couple of month ago.
CIRILLA‘s is not listed as an adult store under the city ordinance. Jefferson City officials confirmed to JRL CHARTS. A business must meet one of three requirements in order to qualify as an adult business.
These are the requirements:
* 1/3 of gross sales must be of adult items
* 1/3 of retail space must be devoted to adult items
* or 1/3 of gross floor space must contain adult items
The city estimated that about 25% of CIRILLA’S floor space is devoted to the sell of those items, which means it falls short of the requirements. The city also commented that its status could change in the future depending on gross sales. If CIRILLA’S is required to apply for an adult business license, it would not meet another condition of the city ordinance. That part of the ordinance requires an adult business be no less than 1000 feet away from a residential area.
The products that CIRILLA’S Adult Boutiques Has On their Shelves are:
* Lingerie & Dancewear
* Plus Size Lingerie
* Shoes
* Women’s Toys
* Men’s Toys
* Intimate Toys
* Anal Sex
* Fantasy Roleplay
* Lubricants
* Lotions & Potions
* Sexy Extras
* Books
* Bachelorette
* Adult Games
* Gags & Gifts
Currently CIRILLA’s Adult Boutique operates over 60 retail stores in 9 States – Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Tennesse.
