OWENSBORO, KY – City and county officials met Monday night to discuss the future of adult-oriented businesses in Daviess County at the courthouse.

Scott Bergthold, attorney, explained the meeting.

“Basically, this is a workshop for the fiscal court and some members of the City Commission that are also here to look at the negative secondary effects of adult businesses,” Bergthold said.

Daviess County is trying to modernize the old ordinance to include Internet businesses, but not everyone in the audience liked what they saw.

“I feel that everybody’s trying to dehumanize us in the adult business,” Joanne Warner, adult business owner, said.

Warner wanted to make sure those in the adult industry were heard.

“It’s kinda like they try to make it like our business is awful, and I don’t think you find adult material lying around in front of our business,” Warner said.

Officials maintain they legally can’t outlaw adult businesses, they can only regulate them to avoid prostitution, drug sales and other crimes.

“There are well-reasoned, well-thought-out ways of regulating adult businesses,” Bergthold said. “It’s not true they can do whatever they want because of the first amendment. They can effectively regulate them to prevent the negative secondary effects that have been documented with this industry.”

Officials said they wanted to look more into the matter before they made their final decision. No word yet on when the new ordinance will be put to a vote.