BAY CITY (WWJ) - Several odd license requirements geared towards fortunetellers, sign hangers and pest control workers may get the axe as Bay City officials look to update decades-old ordinances on Monday.
A commission is scheduled to meet on March 6 to discuss four ordinance amendments, one of which would allow fortunetellers to practice within city limits without a license.
The commission will formally receive the amendments at Monday's meeting, but cannot adopt them officially until the second meeting on March 20.
According to MLive, the overhaul is meant to bring the city "up-to-date" with industry standards and remove "outdated" regulatory language.
Currently, the city ordinance states that anyone who practices fortunetelling must secure a license from the city clerk before doing so. The ordinance outlines fortunetelling as: “means to predict future events, for money or gain, by cards, tokens, trances, mind-reading, inspection of the palm or other parts of the body, phrenology, astrology, or clairvoyance.”
All licenses for fortunetelling automatically expires at the end of the year that is was issued. The city said it would lose $225 in revenue if officials move to drop the licensing requirement.
Three other amendments being considered as part of the overhaul include removing licenses for people who hang signs, licenses for pest control workers — which includes when they can work — and the demolition of buildings.
Licensing requirements for sign hangers currently states: “No person shall engage in the business of erecting, removing, modifying, or maintaining any sign until after a license has been issued by the city clerk.”
If removed, the city said it would lose $389 in licensing revenue.
Exterminators in Bay City are required to follow a set of rules regarding the timeframe in which they can work and what kind of equipment they need along with other procedures and standards.
If the commission adopts the amendment, they estimate they would lost $100 in licensing revenue.
The last amendment would get rid of licensing requirements for anyone in “the business of building wrecking." As it stands, the ordinance says a building can only be torn down in the wrecker obtained a license, met insurance requirements and other regulations.
If the wrecking license is removed, the city said they would lose $854.