Public can learn more about Modesto’s massage ordinance

The public can learn more and weigh in on Modesto’s effort to write a stronger ordinance to deal with massage parlors and spas that operate as fronts for prostitution and human trafficking.

City officials are holding a public meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Room B300 in the basement of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St. to give the public an update on the ordinance. A police officer and code enforcement officer may be at the meeting to answer questions about how the city now enforces it regulations for massage and bodywork businesses.

Denise Bazzano, the attorney writing the ordinance, stressed that what she will be presenting is a draft of the ordinance and that it will undergo revisions before it is adopted by the City Council. City Attorney Adam Lindgren has said he expects the ordinance to come before the council in late summer.

The City Council has placed a temporary ban on new massage and bodywork businesses from opening and the expansion and relocation of existing business to give staff time to write a new ordinance. Officials have said Modesto has received a growing number of complaints regarding some of the massage parlors and spas in the city.

The council adopted a 45-day ban May 12 and renewed the ban June 23 for up to 10 months and 15 days. The council also modified the ban in response to complaints from legitimate certified massage therapists and business owners who said it was harming them. For instance, the ban no longer applies to spas in which massage and bodywork make up less than half of the spa’s square footage.

This story was originally published July 4, 2015 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Public can learn more about Modesto’s massage ordinance."