Belleview is the last place in Marion County that allows internet cafés. Now that's changing
BELLEVIEW — Trena Chambliss depends on her job at Moonlight Internet Café.
She has five children, and working at Moonlight provides a steady paycheck. Chambliss, who has been employed at internet cafés for 10 years, said closing them would severely affect her life.
"If I was to stop working, I would be behind taking care of my five children," Chambliss, a manger at the café, which is located within the city limits of Belleview, said on Tuesday. "This is my livelihood."
Roughly 3 1/2 hours after Chambliss spoke to a reporter, the Belleview City Commission listened to multiple men and women talking passionately about why internet cafés in the city should be allowed to remain open.
Weighing the pros and cons of the arguments, the commission voted 5-0 to shut them down. The votes from Mayor Christine Dobkowski and Commissioners Michael Goldman, Ray Dwyer, Ronald T. Livsey and Robert "Bo" Smith disappointed the standing room only crowd at City Hall.
Background of this issue
According to city officials, last month, an internet café owner asked about an ordinance passed reference to cafés. The mayor said the ordinance is designed to make clear that the city does not condone or knowingly allow illegal activities in the cafés.
City officials said the city attorney met with the police chief and was told that several café owners mentioned that some of their machines were illegal. The chief said his officers are not experienced at knowing the difference between legal and illegal machines, and he doesn't have the manpower to test the machines.
Furthermore, if machines were to be seized, the chief said it would be expensive to store them and the city doesn't have the space to keep them.
The city attorney suggested the commission consider whether internet cafés should be allowed to operate within the city limits.
Belleview internet cafés
Presently there are eight internet cafés in the city, which is approximately 3.3 square miles. They are allowed to operate seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Documents show the city charges a $5,000 annual registration fee. Business tax for the café is $52.05 annually, and owners are charged $100 per machine. If a business has a "fish table" that seats eight people, then the cafe is taxed for eight devices. City officials said that, all told, the eight cafés in Belleview have 527 devices.
City officials said the cafés have been in existence on and off from as early as 2010.
Cafes are not allowed within 1,000 feet of a church, school, child care facility, strip mall or fixed school bus stop, and cannot be located within 500 feet of another café.
The city of Belleview is the only municipality in Marion County that allows internet cafés. The cities of Dunnellon and Ocala, as well as the county, have either prevented or outlawed cafes within their jurisdictions.
Reasons for the bans: crime, bad behavior at the cafes, and a lack of cooperation whenever there's an incident at cafes.
Supporters/non-supporters of internet cafés
Most of the more than 70 people who attended Tuesday's city commission meeting voiced support for the cafés. Speakers told commissioners the cafés provide jobs, revenue and business for the city, and also are a source of entertainment and enjoyment.
Customers and café employees said they feel safe and secure at the businesses because they have armed security.
A handful of others in the audience urged the commission to close the cafes, saying the businesses attract shady people and make people shopping at nearby businesses uncomfortable. The also complained about trash left behind by cafe patrons.
Standing outside Moonlight Internet Café on Tuesday afternoon, Sharon Rubano of Ocala said she and her husband visit the café every other day. Between them, she said, they spend anywhere from $300 to $400 per visit.
Rubano said sometimes they win, and sometimes they lose. Monday was a lucky day: Rubano said they won $700.
"We enjoy it here. I don't want to go to Tampa. It's not right," Rubano said, making reference to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa.
Chad Salmon, a supervisor at Secret Eye Investigations, said the company provides armed guards for four of the eight internet cafés in Belleview.
Salmon said the guards assist the Belleview Police Department by reporting any problems at the cafés. He said café employees are a tight-knight group who protect each other.
"We're a network. We're not a nuisance," he said.
He said those who come to the café are mainly elderly people who want to have fun close to home.
Belleview Police Department Detective Sgt. Michael C. Miley gave a presentation/video during Tuesday's meeting. The video showed him and a state official recently visiting different cafés.
They were told that the machines in the building were illegal. Although some of the machines were replaced by web-based devices, the state official told Miley they were illegal. In some instances, a patron can register at the business, play the game elsewhere, and return to the store to collect their winnings.
At the businesses, the law enforcement officials were told that some customers spent money on games instead of paying their light bill or mortgage.
Internet cafés: Ordinance targets internet cafes in unincorporated Marion County
One by one, city commissioners gave their points of view on why they don't want internet cafés allowed in the city. They expressed concern about legality and the costs that taxpayers must bear for investigations and machine storage. They also noted that most of the speakers supporting the cafes don't even live in the city.
The mayor said while she supports businesses, with the machines being illegal, the commission has no choice but to close them.
Tuesday was just the first reading of the ordinance. The city commission will revisit the issue in the next few weeks. If the measure passes after the second reading, then a schedule will be set as to when the cafés must close — and what penalties violators would face.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Belleview votes no on continuing to allow internet cafés
