Modesto holding public meeting tonight on massage ordinance

Modesto officials are holding a public meeting tonight regarding a proposed ordinance to regulate massage and bodywork businesses.

The meeting is at 6 p.m. in room B300 in the basement of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St. City officials will provide information about the ordinance and the public can weigh in.

The City Council on May 12 temporarily banned new massage parlors and similar businesses from opening and existing ones from expanding or relocating to give city officials time to develop an ordinance to deal with those establishments that operate as a front for prostitution and human trafficking.

The ban is for 45 days, but city officials expect to come back to the council to ask for more time. City Attorney Adam Lindgren said he expects to bring an ordinance to the council by late summer.

The proposed ordinance comes as Assembly Bill 1147, which took effect Jan. 1, gives California cities and counties more control over massage and bodywork businesses, including using zoning and land use regulations for determining the locations of new establishments. The law also lets cities and counties regulate the businesses’ hours of operation and training of their employees.

The legislation was in response to cities and counties complaining that a 2008 state law regulating the massage industry made it difficult for them to regulate massage parlors and spas and shut down those engaging in illegal activity.

About a dozen massage and bodywork business owners and certified massage therapists attended the May 12 council meeting and many expressed concerns that the moratorium would harm them and other legitimate businesses. And at this week’s council meeting, Richard Dufour said the moratorium was preventing him and the other owner of Linda’s Harmony Spa from selling their business.

Dufour said the ban should not apply in his case because he and his business partner are selling an existing business. Lindgren said the ban does apply because they are selling the business to a new owner, who will need his own business license.

Modesto’s moratorium does not apply to current massage and bodywork businesses that renew their business licenses, provided they are complying with all applicable laws and regulations and the renewal is not for a relocation or expansion.

This story was originally published May 28, 2015 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Modesto holding public meeting tonight on massage ordinance."