La Palma : Fortune-Telling Law Gets Initial Approval

City Council members have unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance requiring owners of fortune-telling parlors to obtain a conditional-use permit.

Following the lead of other cities throughout the state, La Palma repealed its ban on fortune-telling practices after a 1985 state Supreme Court decision ruled that municipal ordinances banning such activities are unconstitutional.

The permit, if it receives final council approval at its next meeting, would require a $350 fee.

The council also voted to hire the Sacramento consulting firm of Ralph Anderson & Associates to recruit a replacement for City Manager Richard Rowe, who announced his resignation last month to become city manager of Chino. Mary O’Neil, assistant city manager and city clerk, was named acting city manager when Rowe’s resignation becomes effective Feb. 1.