MASON — Two weeks after toughening regulations on adult-oriented businesses, Mason leaders are turning to the Community Defense Counsel for a second opinion. City Council on Monday unanimously voted to hire the Arizona-based nonprofit legal firm to review and make necessary changes to Mason's sexually oriented business ordinance. The city will pay CDC about $7,500 for the legal service.

        “I have great confidence in the city's legal advisers,” said Mayor John McCurley. ""But with the potential impact of this type of business coming into Mason, I certainly don't want to be second-guessed on why (council) didn't look into this as extensively as we possibly could. ... So I'm going to support the additional homework on this.”

        A legal clearinghouse on adult entertainment and regulatory issues, CDC's assistance to other communities has included providing copies of sample ordinances that have withstood court challenges, telephone conferences and writing new laws.

        More than 1,000 communities nationally have taken advantage of CDC's expertise to help battle pornography. The organization has worked closely on legislation with Tristate cities in cluding Cincinnati, Monroe, Lebanon, Middletown, Hamilton and Waynesville in Ohio; and Kenton County, Erlanger, Taylor Mill and Crescent Springs in Northern Kentucky.

        Officials in Deerfield Township, Mason's closest neighbor, went to the firm last December for advice on how to beef up their defenses against adult businesses. Trustees began re-evaluating Deerfield's zoning code on sexually oriented businesses after a Landen man was caught by police distributing pornographic videos through a mail-order business.

        Councilman Pete Beck suggested that in addition to working with CDC, Mason officials should communicate with surrounding communities about their regulations.

        “I think we would be remiss if we didn't check in with our neighbors and see where they are with their laws,” Mr. Beck said, “because someone could come in and put one of these businesses right on our border and we would have no control over that.”

        In other business, council awarded a $49,000 contract to TEC Engineering Inc. to perform a citywide traffic analysis. The engineering firm will study traffic patterns and make recommendations on how to reduce congestion, delays and accidents and improve traffic flow and safety.

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