DUNCAN — ‘Just in time for Nov. 1, the day licensed tattoo parlors become legal in the state of Oklahoma, Duncan’s City Council approved new zoning ordinances to regulate the locations of tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments inside Duncan’s city limits.
However, at Tuesday night’s meeting at least one local business owner was not happy with the designation of such businesses as being permitted as a use “on review” rather than a use “by right.”
For Jason Shell, owner and operator of Poor Boy Way, the difference made by those two words means that he now needs to go through the process of seeking approval from the city’s Planning Commission. It then has to be affirmed by a vote of the City Council a week later.
The next planning commission meeting is not until Nov. 21.
Shell said he recently changed locations just to be sure he’d satisfy the location requirement that forbids a tattoo or piercing establishment to be located within 1,000 feet of a church, school or playground.
Because both tattooing and piercing are now legal enterprises licensed by the state, and his shop is located in an industrial zoned area, he said, his business should be a use approved “by right.”
The status of any business as a use “on review” allows for public comments to be considered before the permit to operate is approved, explained City Manager Clyde Shaw.
Shaw said that other tattoo parlors wishing to open may intend to locate in other areas of town, and this allows the process to be reviewed by others in the area.
Day-care facilities are also considered a business that is a “use on review,” explained City Attorney Jim Frieda.
Coincidentally, the location of a new daycare was also approved by the council Tuesday night.
The day-care will be located at 805 N. Fifth and be licensed by the Department of Human Services for up to 40 children. The use of the property was approved by the Planning Commission on Oct. 17, and the council upheld that recommendation.
In other business, the City Council approved:
n A bid of $118,735 to Davis Air Conditioning for a new system at the Duncan Public Library;
n A resolution establishing Dec. 4 through 6 as the filing period for the City Council seats for Ward 3 and Ward 4, and establishing Feb. 13 as the date of the primary election and April 3 as the general election, if necessary:
n A priority list of recommended street improvement projects, some of which will be published in the election proclamation prior to a bond election;
n The purchase of four new police cars;
n A contract with Credit Bureau Services Associates for the $660,000 in uncollected accounts receivable accounts (from the past four years) due to the city’s utility department, for a fee of 25 percent of what is collected;
n The purchase of a one-told truck bed from OEM Systems for $5,280.
