SALEM - City councilors passed new rules for fortunetellers last night, hoping to put an end to what Salem's official witch has called a psychic "free for all."

Before being granted a license, fortunetellers must undergo a criminal background check and either live in or operate a business in the city for at least a year.

Psychics must also wear a police-issued identification badge that displays their name, photo and address.

Predicting the future (for a fee) without a license is illegal and punishable by a $100 fine for each violation, under the new rules.

"We've come up with a fairly well-rounded ordinance that meets the needs of all these individuals," Councilor-at-large Joan Lovely said.

City councilors crafted the soothsayer statute to prevent psychics - particularly unlicensed ones - from blatantly bilking consumers, primarily by promising to remove curses or black auras for large sums of money.

Stores can only license up to five readers. Psychic fairs can license up to 20 fortunetellers, but no more than 10 can read at one time.

Fortunetelling, as defined by the ordinance, includes forecasting the future by "spirits, tea leaves, tarot cards, scrying, coins, sticks, dice, sand, coffee grounds (and) crystal gazing."

Trash fee stays

In other business, things didn't augur well for opponents of the trash fee paid by commercial property owners.

Despite protests from about 15 tenants and landlords outside City Hall yesterday, city councilors kept the trash fee on the books - for now.

Councilors briefly discussed the fee assessed to commercial property owners and landlords of non-owner-occupied dwellings, if the city collects their trash. By taking no action, councilors left the ordinance in place. But at least two councilors last night indicated they were unhappy with the fee.

The protesters said they they'll keep demonstrating until the fee is repealed.

"We're not going to let this drop," landlord Denise Turcotte said. "If anything, it's just going to get bigger."