HomeMy WebLinkAbout1960-0293 - Ordinance - 02/22/1960ORDINANCE NO. 293
AN ORDINANCE CREATING A BOARD OF LITERARY REVIEW TO BE KNOWN AS THE BOARD OF REVIEW
FOR READERS; PROVIDING THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS, THEIR ELIGIBILITY AND METHOD OF AP-
POINTMENT; PROVIDING THE DUTIES AND AREAS IN WHICH THE BOARD SHALL NOT ACT; PRO-
VIDING A SAVING CLAUSE; PROVIDING AN EMERGENCY CLAUSE AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of College Station:
SECTION I.
There is hereby created a Board of Literary Review for the city of College
Station which shall be known and designated officially as the "Board of Review
for Readers."
SECTION II.
The Board of Review shall consist of seven members, one to be a citizen of
the city of College Station to be appointed by the Mayor; one to be a member of
the Mothers and Dads Club; one a member of the A. & M. Consolidated Independent
School District, either the Superintendent or a person appointed by the Superin-
tendent; one person with editoral or literary experience; one a member of the
A. & M. College Counseling service; one shall be a member of the Brazos County
Youth Counsel; and one member shall be the City Attorney of the city of College
Station.The members shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the
City Council. One of these members shall be designated as Chairman and one as
Secretary, both appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council.
The members shall serve a period of two years. All vacancies shall be filled
by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council as hereinbefore provided.
SECTION III.
Promptly after the passage of this ordinance and the appointment of the
Board of Review, designation of the chairman and secretary, the chairman shall
call a meeting of the board. Rules and regulations shall be formulated for the
orderly conduct of the affairs of the board consistent with the provisions of
this ordinance.
SECTION IV.
It shall be the duty of the board of review to keep informed of the contents
of literary and pictorial publications found in the city of the nature described
in Ordinance No. 287 and to call to the attention of the proper legal prosecuting
authorities any literary or pictorial publication which the board believes should
be investigated by the prosecutor to determine whether or not it tends to the
corruption of the morals of minors and/or individuals or to incite anyone to dis-
regard the law of the land. The board shall have the right to express its views
as to the propriety or legality of any publication read by minors and/or individuals,
but the board shall not have the right to enforce its views by any direct or in-
direct threat to prosecute persons who disagree with the board, whether such threats
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are made openly or covertly to the publishing, distributing or retailing trade.
The board otherwise may take whatever measures it deems advisable to suppress
any literature which it believes detrimental to minors and/or citizens.
SECTION V.
If any section, subsection or any part of this ordinance shall be held to be
unconsitutibnal. or inoperative, such invalidity shall not affect any of the re-
maining portions thereof, it being the express intention of the City Council to
enact consitutional and operative provisions and they would not have included any
unconsitutional or inoperative provisions if they had known of such invalidity at
at the time the ordinance was adopted.
SECTION VI.
The fact that the City of College Station does not presently have an ordinance
providing for the creation of a Board of Review for readers, together with the
fact that much obscene, immoral and indecent literature is being distributed to
both minors and adults creates an emergency and an imperative public necessity that
this ordinance shall take effect and be in force at and from the time of its passage.
SECTION VII.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
PASSED AND APPROVED this the 22nd day of February, 1960.
APPROVED:
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Secretary