from www.vcstar.com – The Simi Valley City Council has signaled its intent to adopt an ordinance aimed at discouraging the making of porn videos in the city, though some members expressed concerns about using city resources to enforce it.

Council members Monday night generally supported a proposed ordinance that would require actors to use condoms in adult videos shot in Simi Valley. The ordinance is expected to be introduced at the council’s Feb. 13 meeting.

However, Councilman Glen Becerra [pictured] questioned spending city tax dollars on enforcement, since Cal/OSHA, the state workplace safety and health agency, enforces its own regulation requiring “protective barriers,” including condoms, on adult shoots.

“Are we, in fact … taking the responsibility of what should already be enforced by the state and paying for it with Simi Valley taxpayer dollars?” Becerra asked. “That’s really my only concern.”

Cal/OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer said Tuesday that while the agency enforces its regulation and has issued numerous citations, any city “can take additional steps if they feel that they would like to strengthen the standards that they have for enforcement in their own jurisdictions.”

Councilman Steve Sojka said Monday night he wouldn’t want police officers taken off the street to enforce the ordinance.

“That’s not the plan,” City Manager Mike Sedell said, adding that an enforcement program is being developed that would use city code enforcement officers.

In response to privacy concerns raised by Councilman Mike Judge, City Attorney Tracy Noonan said the ordinance would be aimed at production companies, not the occasional private couple “making an adult movie in their bedroom” for noncommercial purposes.

The ordinance was drafted at the urging of Mayor Bob Huber after the Los Angeles City Council adopted a similar one last month. Huber has said he wants to send a message to the adult industry, centered in the neighboring San Fernando Valley, that it is not welcome in “family-oriented” Simi Valley.

The ostensible aim of the Los Angeles law is to protect porn actors from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Some producers opposed to the ordinance are reportedly considering moving outside Los Angeles to make videos without condoms, which is what they say consumers want. Simi Valley has been mentioned as a possible new shooting location.

Toward the end of the council’s discussion, Sojka suggested he had concerns about Huber first airing the proposed ordinance in the media. He also said Huber had issued a news release in November, alleging some massage parlors are fronts for prostitution.

Sojka accused Huber of “choosing to govern through press releases.”

“I don’t want you to use the City Council for the re-election platform,” said Sojka, who lost to Huber in the city’s 2010 mayor’s race.

“You’re wrong,” Huber said. “I was elected by the people to step up and speak out on issues. I’ve never been afraid to do that. It’s called leadership.”