By Sara QuamAdult bookstores, dance clubs and theaters won’t be able to operate in rural Rock County.With no current regulation of adult-oriented businesses, Rock County Commissioners got ahead of anyone wanting to open that type of establishment Tuesday.They imposed a temporary ban on "adult use" businesses in order to give the Planning and Zoning Committee time to research how the permanent ordinance should be written.If the ordinance isn’t passed within a year, the temporary ban becomes void. The ordinance is effective only in unincorporated areas of the county. City governments have control over their municipal ordinances.The county action, which was passed unanimously by commissioners, wasn’t prompted by anything specific.While there wasn’t a permit request for a business of an adult nature, commissioners heard rumors that someone might be interested.Commissioner Ken Hoime said, "It could happen. We don’t know."County Attorney Don Klosterbuer did some research to find what other counties have defined as "adult" and presented that to the board as a starting point.Klosterbuer said, "In zoning, you always want to try to stay ahead of a crisis."The ban on permits and time for a study will give the board a thorough, permanent adult ordinance to pass.Klosterbuer said, "The board was concerned that the current ordinance did not address adult uses in any manner. They felt it important that there be a study and investigation, including public hearings, to determine to what extent these business activities should be regulated within the county."Commissioner Richard Bakken said he hoped cities in the county would make sure they were prepared to face business requests as well. "I would like to see that the cities get notified too," Bakken said. What is ‘adult’?Adult uses will be more clearly defined in Rock County. Commissioners received some general definitions of what their future adult ordinance will cover:Adult uses generally include adult bookstores, theaters, movie rentals, adult mini-motion picture theaters, adult massage parlors, steam room and bathhouses, adult companionship establishments, adult conversation parlors, adult health or sport clubs, adult cabarets, adult novelty businesses, adult motion picture arcades, adult modeling studios, adult hotels or motels, adult body painting studios, and other premises, enterprises, establishments, businesses, or places open to some or all members of the public, at or in which there is an emphasis on the presentation, display, depiction or description of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas which are capable of being seen by members of the public."Specified anatomical areas" and "specified sexual activities" will be clearly defined within the ordinance.