On Tuesday, a moratorium was placed on the issuance of licenses to operate sweepstakes businesses in Laurinburg.

The City Council members hope the 30-day moratorium will slow down growth of the industry, which already has 21 locations in the city of about 15,000. The change takes effect immediately.

Councilman Tommy Parker, who initially proposed the moratorium, says the unanimously passed measure was necessary to curb the growth of the internet gaming sites until the city can decide how best to address the precipitous growth of the businesses.

"(We passed the moratorium) because of substantial growth in those kinds of gaming operations," Parker said. "Until the city gets a better handle on things, I think we just need to slow it down. We'll get more time top study it and it will slow the proliferation (of sweepstakes businesses)."

The measure council members were initially considering would have placed a $2,500 license fee for operating a business with sweepstakes machines.

Officials decided to delay the consideration of the fee while they decide whether the businesses should be charged equally for operating the machines or based on the number of machines.

The current license fee for operating a sweepstakes location is $25.

There were also several different views of how the law pertaining to sweepstakes machines currently works, based on several court rulings. Officials were uncertain how many machines a business could have or what constituted an internet sweepstakes machine.

Council also felt the moratorium prudent as the North Carolina Supreme Court is expected to pass down a ruling soon on the legality of internet sweepstakes machines.

Parker said the

"People don't do it for fun; people play them to win money and people offer them to make money," Parker said. "Sometimes, the feeling in the community is that people get addicted to the gambling."

City council also created the City of Laurinburg Youth Council, a body of 20 people aged 15 to 19 with three adult advisors with the purpose of promoting activities for the youth of Laurinburg and solving problems pertinent to the city's young people.

The council was the recommendation of Councilman Kenton Spencer.

"It's important because we have to engage our young people," Spencer said. "They have to be involved in the process and in the things that affect them. Its important for any progressive government to be engaged with all of the citizens and a youth council, in a sustainable way, is one of the mechanisms to do that."

Spencer said the committee will allow youth to give "input into functioning of government and issues that affect them, such as employment, youth activities, issues of crime, violence and poverty."

By creating the body, Spencer said Laurinburg would join the state of North Carolina and 38 other municipalities in the state that have youth councils.

The city will pick three adults to act as advisors to the group before they will accept applications for youth members. Spencer said he hopes the committee can be sworn in sometime in March.

Council also passed a motion supporting this years fireworks display being held on July 3 at a cost of $11,000. The resolution asked the county to pay half the bill.

Parker the sole dissenter, noting the potential liability of a fireworks display and the additional strain on a budget during tough economic times.

Councilman Curtis Leak disagreed with Parker, saying that the audience is so far from the fireworks, there is likely no threat to onlookers.

Councilwoman Amanda Doerffel agreed the city should hold the event.

"It is a small amount to pay for the enjoyment Laurinburg residents receive," she said.

In other business, city council:

• Set public hearings for Feb. 16 for requests to either rezone a 10-acre property on Emily Drive from Residential-15/General Business to Residential-6 or for a conditional use permit to for the same property to become a housing development for 30 dwellings.

• Approved a resolution and an ordinance required as part of a Community Development Block Grant application. The grant, if approved, would make street improvements to West Boulevard and X-Way Road near an apartment complex run by the Laurinburg Housing Authority.

• Approved the sale of city-owned land in the Lincoln Heights subdivision for $3,750.

• Presented certificates to eight graduates of the Citizen Police Academy.