PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA

INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM

TO:        Honorable Chairman               DATE:  8/20/2002         FILE: CAO 02-2860

             Members of the Board

             Of County Commissioners

THRU:   Robert D. Sumner,                 SUBJECT: Amendments to Bingo Ordinance

County Attorney                                     to include sessions with 50 players

                                                             or less

FROM:  Joseph D. Richards                 REFERENCES:

            Assistant County Attorney

It is recommended that the date herein presented be given formal consideration by the Board of County Commissioners

DESCRIPTION AND CONDITIONS:

On February 13, 2002, you directed the County Attorney’s Office to prepare amendments to the current Bingo Ordinance in Article III to include regulation of groups and organizations that annually average fifty players or less.  Based on the loophole of not regulating small group bingo, some organizations may underestimate their bingo attendance in an effort to avoid the licensing requirements and procedures that currently exist for games of more than 50 players.

Presently is it not possible to know how many organizations and groups are underestimating their bingo attendance.  In addition, there is no means of knowing where these organizations are located or who is sponsoring the activity.

The amendments to the ordinance achieve the following:

1. Any authorized group or organization that sponsors bingo games and averages fifty players or less must register with the Office of the County Administrator annually. 

2. The registration form will contain the organization’s name, address, and phone number, along with the times and day(s) of the week bingo is played.

3. The form will contain a statement providing that the person who signs the form accepts responsibility for the bingo activity.

4. Registration will provide the necessary information to allow the Sheriff’s office to inspect the premises for purposes of compliance.

5. The registered organizations will be required to document the number of bingo players in attendance at each bingo session. The document must be completed at the end of each bingo session and prior to closing the bingo hall for the day.  These forms must be retained by the registered organization for three years.

6. An annual registration fee of $25.00 will be imposed.

In response to the Chairman’s direction, we propose the attached amendments to the Pasco County Code of Ordinances.  The amendments will help in identifying where bingo games are being held. 

Creating a Bingo Ordinance for groups and organizations for 50 players or less will give the Sheriff the ability to monitor compliance and give the Sheriff access to information that would otherwise not be available.

ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS:

We request that the Board of County Commissioners consider the following alternatives:

1. Introduce the attached ordinance amendments and refer the ordinance to the Citizen’s Ordinance Review   Committee for their review and comment, after which the amendments shall be back to the board for further action.

2. Direct staff to a different course of action.

RECOMMENDATION AND FUNDING:

It is the recommendation of the County Attorney’s Office that the Board of County Commissioners approve alternative number 1.

No funding is necessary for this item.

JDR:jlt

Attachment: draft ordinance amendments

cc:     John J. Gallagher, County Administrator

          Lou Garcia, Detective, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office