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Aldermen shorten required holding period for secondhand dealers to 15 days
Summary
After talks with police and shop owners, the committee amended O-26-012 to require secondhand dealers to retain purchased items for 15 days (down from 30) and recommended the ordinance for final passage. The change keeps pawnshop rules at 30 days.
The Personnel & Administrative Affairs Committee voted to recommend final passage of an amended ordinance that shortens the holding period for secondhand dealers from 30 days to 15 days.
Sponsor Alderman Tim Sennett said the amendment is a compromise worked out with the police department and shop owners: dealers will continue to log purchases, photograph items and submit records to the police, but the retention window would drop to 15 days for secondhand dealers while pawn brokers would remain subject to a 30‑day holding period. “What this would do is set us right back to where we were before I introduced this ordinance,” Sennett said, calling it relief for small retailers while preserving police access to records.
Aldermen discussed operational details — including photographing bulk lots such as baseball‑card collections and whether to create price or volume thresholds — and asked city staff to refine reporting requirements to avoid excessive documentation burdens on dealers. Alderman Ben Clemens suggested a pragmatic photo‑based documentation approach for large lots rather than item‑by‑item entries.
The committee adopted the amendment and then voted to recommend final passage as amended; the clerk recorded five yes votes and the motion carried. The ordinance will proceed toward final action at the full Board of Aldermen.
