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334 <br /> <br />Matters by the public <br />League of Women <br />Voters <br /> <br />Ordinanae~re: <br />Amending Chapter 21 <br />of Code relating to <br />dealersin precious <br />metals <br /> <br /> Ms. Linda Seaman, League of Women Voters, presented a copy of <br /> <br />a letter from the United States Department of the Interior regarding <br />preservation of the municipal water supplY reservoir. Each Council <br />member received a copy and a copy is kept on file with these minutes. <br /> Chief J. dekoven Bowen~of the police Department and Mr. Richard <br />Barrick, Commonwealth ~Attorney for the City, asked for Council's <br />consideration Of an ordinance entitled "AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND <br />REORDAIN CHAPTER 21 OF THE ~CODE OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, <br />VIRGINIA, L976, AS AMENDED~ BY ADDING ARTICLE IV, CONTAINING <br />SECTIONS 21~17 ~THROUGK 21~29 PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION OF <br />DEALERS IN PRECIOUS METALSAND PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY" They <br />stated that the purpose of the ordinance is two-~fold: to deter <br />the theft of gold, silver and other precious metals' in the City and <br />to increase the opportunity of apprehending criminal,s.and recovering <br />stOlen goods. Chief Bowen gave statistics showing the drastic <br />increase in burglaries of these items over thepast year and stated <br />that the ordinance is urgently needed~to stem this trend. He <br />explained that Albemarle County is considering a similar ordinance <br />that does not conflict with this proposed City ordinance. Provisions <br />of the ordinance include requirements for stricter record keeping <br />bymerchants, an additional fee and bond requirement, a requirement <br />that goods bought by dealers be held for five days and registered <br />with the police and prohibition of dealers buying from minors. <br /> <br /> Mr. Larry Barnett of Charlottesville Pawnbrokers and Barnett's <br /> Jewel'Box on the mall addressed Council concerning the ordinance. <br /> <br /> He stated his willingness to abide by the ordinance requirements and <br /> endorsed Chief Bowen~s' remarks about the need to discourage the <br /> buying and selling of stolen goods. He asked Council to go further, <br /> however, by discouraging out-of-town dealers who set up operations <br /> temporarily in motels within the City. He stated that these dealers <br /> are unrestricted at present and take money out of the City. %n some <br /> instances, customers have been cheated in their dealings with them <br /> especially the elderly. These dealers pay no business or property <br /> taxes nor do they have any business reputation to maintain in the <br /> community. He also objected to the requirement for dealers to <br /> demand a picture identification before buying from .a customer, stating <br /> that this would be a particular.hardship on many senior citizens <br /> who don't have a dr.iv r's license or other picture I.D He also <br /> asked that the ordinance requirement of license renewal every six <br /> months ~be waived in favor of the Chief of Police having the power <br /> to withdraw.a licenae'When violations of the ordinance occur. He <br /> stated that a license renewal every six months would be a great <br /> inconvenience ~for local'~merchants whO already have considerable <br /> pape~ork in the ~form of bUsiness licenses and taxes to. submit to <br /> the City. He stated his opinion that this ordinance would not be <br /> as effective as hoped in decreasing this type of criminal activity <br /> because of the increasingly higher prices for gold and silver and <br /> unemployement and inflatiOn factors.. He presented a copy of an <br /> <br /> <br />