Friday, May 24, 2013
State poised to ban sweepstakes businesses
Fairlawn officials were betting state lawmakers would act on Internet cafes before the city's moratorium expired -- and it looks like they will win that bet. The Ohio Senate has approved a measure banning the sweepstakes cafes, effectively wiping them out statewide. Fairlawn has had a moratorium on the businesses while officials drafted legislation to regulate them, but now it looks like a local law won't be necessary. "It's much easier to regulate them on a state level," Council President Russ Sharnsky said. "Hopefully, the governor will get that signed." Fairlawn was ready to pass local legislation on the cafes earlier this year, but held off to see what Ohio would do on a statewide basis. Mayor William Roth said last month that the …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Here's what's going on in Fairlawn and Bath
A wrap-up of news from the last week: New business coming -- Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt is moving into a Fairlawn shopping center. Internet cafes an issue -- Fairlawn is hoping the state regulates the businesses before it has to. Quick-change artist strikes -- A man confuses a cashier out of $100 in Bath Township. Rain garden moving ahead -- Fairlawn is working on a plan to create a rain garden at Croghan Park. Party season starts -- Bath police break up a party of more than 100 kids.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
City Council will wait for state to regulate storefront gaming
Fairlawn officials, who were poised to pass legislation regulating Internet sweepstakes cafes, are backing off that plan in hopes that a state law will tackle the issue instead. Law Director Edward Riegler, speaking at a Committe of the Whole meeting Monday, said Police Chief Ken Walsh has asked council to give Ohio lawmakers a few more months to come up with statewide rules for the cafes. "He would like us to hold this (legislation)," Riegler said. "He's hoping the state will come through eventually." Fairlawn's moratorium on the cafes — originally imposed in 2011, and extended twice — will expire in June. The local regulations were drafted after city officials, tired of waiting for the state to take action, decided to handle Internet…
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Council has decided it will push forward without the guidance of the Ohio General Assembly on how to regulate and restrict Internet sweepstakes cafes.
After three years, Fairlawn's city and elected officials have grown tired of waiting for the Ohio General Assembly to pass legislation on the regulation of Internet sweepstakes cafes. This spring, Fairlawn's moratorium on the cafes — originally imposed in 2011, and extended twice — will be lifted. When that happens, the city aims to have ordinances in place to regulate the cafes and restrict them to an unspecified number of districts in the city, said Fairlawn Law Director Edward Riegler. Discussion to move forward came up last month and was revisited at Monday's Council meeting. Riegler said the next step is for local officials to hold a public meeting and discuss possible zoning code changes that would mirror the yet-to-be-determined …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
See a copy of the agenda here.
Fairlawn City Council meets in a work session at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers. See a copy of tonight's agenda above.
41.13348
-81.627099
Fairlawn City Hall
3487 S Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH
/articles/fairlawn-council-to-discuss-internet-cafes-at-work-session
1423437
/locations/7112906
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
A bill regulating the cafes awaits Ohio House approval, and council will decide what to do after it passes or fails.
Fairlawn City Council has decided it's in the city's best interest to extend a moratorium on any Internet sweepstakes cafes until the state passes regulation legislation. Council will vote to extend an existing moratorium next Monday. Council met in a committee meeting Monday night at City Hall. "The (state) senate passed a law with a moratorium on all new devices last week," said city Law Director Edward Riegler. "Now the bill is in the state House and it's only half approved so I want to extend our moratorium until wee see what the state does." City administration has already drafted two pieces of legislation that would regulate the cafes, should any come to the city. At Internet sweepstakes cafes, customers buy phone cards for any …
41.13348
-81.627099
Fairlawn City Hall
3487 S Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH
/articles/council-looks-to-extend-moratorium-on-internet-cafes
1423437
/locations/7009131
Monday, May 14, 2012
Council will meet in a work session at 6 p.m. tonight.
Fairlawn officials have drafted legislation that would regulate Internet sweepstakes cafes, should anyone want to open an establishment in the city. Until that legislation is passed, city council approved placing a moratorium on the cafes to prevent them from coming in. However, state officials have also drafted legislation to regulate the cafes. City Law Director Edward Riegler said he wanted to read over that legislation to see if it renders the city's moot. Council will discuss the cafes at tonight's Committee of the Whole meeting which starts at 6 p.m. at City Hall. See a full copy of tonight's agenda in the media portion of this article.
41.13348
-81.627099
Fairlawn City Hall
3487 S Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH
/articles/council-to-discuss-state-s-internet-cafe-legislation
1423437
/locations/7001146
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Fairlawn City Council Committee of the Whole will not vote tonight, just hold discussion.
*Editor's note: This is an updated version of this story. Mayor William Roth said the police chief will not speak at tonight's meeting. The main topic of discussion at tonight's City Council of the Whole Meeting will be the 2012 budget, said Mayor William Roth. The preliminary budget was put in place last year, and council is required to pass the final budget in March. Also on the agenda are Internet sweepstakes cafes and panhandling. For the last several weeks, Chief Kenneth Walsh has been reading over and editing new ordinances that would regulate Internet sweepstakes cafes. The ordinance dictates where an Internet cafe can open in the city and the requirements the owner has to meet before opening. Council has already approved imposing a…
41.13348
-81.627099
Fairlawn City Hall
3487 S Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH
/articles/fairlawn-police-chief-to-discuss-panhandling-internet-cafes-tonight
1423437
/locations/6567571
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fairlawn City Council members approved extending a moratorium on Internet cafes Tuesday night.
Last year, Fairlawn council members approved a moratorium that prevents "Entertainment Device Arcades," or Internet sweepstakes cafes, from opening in the city. At Tuesday night's council meeting, members approved extending that moratorium for another three months. At Internet sweepstakes cafes, customers buy phone cards for any amount of money, and that money correlates to sweepstakes points. The customer uses the card to get on the Internet to surf or play sweepstakes games. Customers have the potential to win money, but the games are not considered gambling since the chances of winning is predetermined. "We anticipated the state would act on creating some regulations for these establishments last year, but the state still hasn't acted…
41.13348
-81.627099
Fairlawn City Hall
3487 S Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH
/articles/fairlawn-bans-internet-cafes-for-another-three-months
1423437
/locations/7009112
Megan Rozsa
2:14 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Thanks for sharing, Sharon. How do the rest of you feel about this? Have you been to an Internet cafe? Or do you choose to avoid them? more ›