Manhattan, Kansas- Nudity was on the agenda for the recent City Commission meeting. The vote was 5-0, in favor of a new nudity ordinance.

Mayor Mark Taussig said the ordinance is particularly directed toward nudity in business.

It was created to prevent sexually orientated businesses from coming to Manhattan, he said.

“Sexually orientated businesses are not generally viewed as good for a community,” he said. “It devalues the property around it.”

Taussig said there are certain circumstances where nudity is allowed, such as a drawing class, visiting a doctor, nursing a child and theatrical performances.

Commissioner Brad Everett said the ordinance includes public exposure.

“If they are exposing themselves in a bar, I’m sure it covers that, too,” he said.

Everett said he would not be surprised if there were people exposing themselves in Manhattan — most likely in bars.

“I would assume there would be some exposers in Aggieville,” he said.

Preston Fox, assistant manager at Rusty’s Last Chance Restaurant and Saloon, said he has heard a rumor about people exposing themselves in the bar on Halloween.

“I heard about it, but I can’t vouch for that,” he said. “I was not here on that night, so I can’t comment on it.”

Fox said he would help enforce the nudity ordinance at Rusty’s by telling security guards about the rules of the ordinance.

“Just making sure security knows what is allowed and what isn’t,” he said.

Jesse Clingan, manager at O’Malley’s Alley, said the bar has had some incidents of public exposure.

“Last St. Patrick’s Day, a girl decided she didn’t want to wear a shirt,” he said.

However, Clingan said he will not change anything to enforce the nudity ordinance.

“I think everybody has the right to do what they want with their own body,” he said. “If they’re not offending people in the establishment, then they’re not offending me.”