Nebraska- Wilkinson Development of North Platte has put an end to the selling and renting of adult videos at its property in Sidney.

“We never would have initially rented space for that purpose,” said Mark Wilkinson. “We don’t condone that type of business use.”

Neither, apparently, does the Sidney City Council, which passed an ordinance last week regulating “sexually oriented businesses” within city limits.

The 17-page ordinance requires a license for prospective business owners, a police investigation of the owner and the business’s proposed location, and a $500-a-year annual operating fee.

“We had a video rental and sales company that moved into our Sidney Plaza shopping center,” Wilkinson said Monday.

Originally the 3,000 square foot property rented videos for general audiences, Wilkinson said. Adult videos were tucked back out of sight in an 80-square-foot, enclosed area out of view from the main area.

Then Wojcik’s Video Shack changed its name and started dealing exclusively in adult films, adding adult toys and novelties.

“(The renters) took that 80 square feet and turned it into 3,000 square feet,” Wilkinson said. “They outfoxed us on the lease.

“The permitted use within the property was movie sales and rentals. It didn’t include or exclude adult videos.”

Operating as Something Sexy for Couples, the renters had been solid tenants, Wilkinson said, paying rent like “clockwork,” never missing a payment.

“They promised to take us to court if we forced them to exit,” Wilkinson said. “I said if that’s what they needed to do, but they couldn’t stay in the building.”

Terms of the agreement with Something Sexy for Couples president Joe Wojcik have not been disclosed, but Wilkinson said he “paid a substantial amount of money” to buy out the lease, which had 18 months to go.