Fortune tellers now welcome in Petoskey, no fingerprints or background checks required

PETOSKEY — After an unexpectedly complicated process, Petoskey’s outdated anti-fortune telling ordinance has been repealed with no plans to replace it.

In early 2022, Poetess and Stranger owner Sarah Snider reached out to then-acting city manager Al Terry about a mostly unenforced ordinance forbidding fortune telling within city limits.

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The policy, which stated “it shall be unlawful for any person to engage in fortunetelling or pretend to tell fortunes for hire, gain, or reward,” is filed under a section of city code that addresses “miscellaneous offenses and provisions,” and grouped alongside a handful of “offenses against persons.”

At first, city council saw no reason to keep the law but after an opposing view came forward, they sought to appease both parties.

It is not known when or why the ordinance came into existence but it was updated in 2014 after an illicit fortune telling business was pressured into leaving the city due to the owner's connection to a “non-traditional organized crime” operation, according to then-director of public safety John Calabrese in a city council meeting.

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When it was brought up again earlier this year, council asked Terry and city attorney Matt Cross to look into possible alternatives to the ban. One of the ordinances that was looked at during the process was in Warren, where an ordinance mandates that psychic business owners be fingerprinted and pay $150 per year, plus the costs of a police background check, to get a license.

The first draft of Petoskey’s regulation was based on Warren’s ordinance and would have included mandatory mug shots and exceptions in cases of public entertainment, or in the context of religious ceremonies by “bona fide” churches or religious institutions. This draft was later scrapped by council.

“The issue always was for the city and specifically the Department of Public Safety, it was obviously not to infringe on anyone's religious practices. It was the potential for fraud, for taking advantage of people. So that was the impetus. That's what the motivation was,” Cross said.

Concerns were raised by council members over civil liberties and first amendment rights, particularly religious freedom.

“We started the process by looking at some other municipalities who had undertaken similar regimes and to start with that and propose it to council but then realized after the fact that there was a statute passed (that) essentially prevents municipalities from really regulating any profession,” Cross said.

“It may not be as broad as that, but bottom line is there was a statute which they said really prevented the city from doing what it wanted to do initially. So at this point, it's repealed and there's no intention moving forward to put anything in its place.”

Cross said they found that the state did not require a license to charge for fortune telling services, meaning Petoskey could not require it either.

“I have my first amendment rights just like everybody else. So I decided to fight it,” Snider said. “I'm incredibly grateful because there were other respected people in our community that also stood up with me and voiced their concern over the precedent it would set.”

Snider said Rev. Ryan Donahoe from the First Presbyterian Church in Petoskey spoke up at the meeting to say the ordinance, as written, would mean Petoskey pastors would be in violation. Since not every minister is ordained, the religious exemption would not apply.

Donahoe was not available for comment at the time of publication.

Snider, who is an atheist, said she appreciated the support from the local Christian community.

“As an atheist, I was really afraid that they were going to try and make this about religious freedom. And as an atheist, I believe that that covers my freedom from religion. It doesn't change the fact that I'm also a practicing witch. But atheism for me is just mine, it's just my thing,” Snider said.

“I value each and every person's belief system because it's built on their whole life's experiences. And so when I had the support of a faith leader in this community, I really did feel as though me, as a person, was being supported.”

Due to ambiguity surrounding freedom of religion and the issue surrounding state licenses, council found the drafted regulation would not only violate the first amendment, but had strayed away from the original intention, which was to clarify and correct the city law for current citizens.

“This whole expenditure of energy was really for nothing in the end, except it proved to our community that we really do believe in religious freedom and freedom from religion,” Snider said. “And that when you find something that doesn't seem right, you can stand up to our city leaders and voice your concerns, your concerns will be heard. I felt like I actually participated in something that got something done.”

With the ordinance now repealed, Poetess and Stranger has begun to offer readings on Fridays and Saturdays from 2 to 6 p.m. The divination techniques currently offered are herb scrying, psychometry and spirit board. Snider herself offers readings where she does the reading by herself and then types up a report for the subject.

Megan VanLoo-Grimm offers psychometry and spirit board, which she has been practicing for 21 years. She approached Snider about offering readings in the store, which is when she found out about the ordinance.

“I understand why they felt (like) they had to do that but at the same time, if they had come to (the fortune telling) community and asked, I don’t think they would have had to put an ordinance in place,” VanLoo-Grimm said.

Now that the issue is resolved, Snider said she is grateful that the council worked with her to find a solution and hopes she can continue to expand the divination services she offers.

“I'm very grateful to the city council for being so open and curious and capable. It was really my first foray into trying to change something civically. And I have to admit, I was very impressed," she said.

Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Fortune telling law repealed in Petoskey; readings to be offered