Internet Cafes
The city of Hubbard, located near Youngstown, became the latest to address Internet cafes. Unlike other cities, this is more of a pre-emptive strike as there are currently no such cafes in Hubbard. The proposed zoning ordinance would limit the number of cafes to five within the city limits. These cafes would have to be greater than 2,500 feet apart and would be limited to no more than 100 sweepstakes machines per building. The city would charge $100 per machine. Cafes with 6-49 machines would pay a $3,000 licensing fee and those cafes with 50 or more machines would pay a $5,000 licensing fee. The proposed ordinance must pass two more readings before becoming law.