Round 2 for Massage Spa Ordinance

It’s Round 2 for the proposed massage ordinance, which seeks to regulate Petaluma massage establishments in an attempt to cut down on businesses that engage in prostitution or employ people who aren't real therapists.

The ordinance was initially brought before the city council in December, but was tabled after many therapists complained that the police department failed to obtain their input.

The first draft of the ordinance sought to fingerprint all therapists and ask practitioners to show proof they did not have any communicable diseases, which many found offensive.

After three community meetings, the plan is back, with some modifications. Therapists will still have to pass a background check and show 250 hours of massage education along with proof of insurance. But instead of 90 days as previously suggested, therapists will now have two years to obtain certification from the California Massage Therapy Council.

(Many older therapists argued that a requirement to show 250 hours of massage education would effectively put them out of business because the schools they attended no longer exist.)

Under the proposed ordinance, massage establishments would also be required to close at 10pm (some operate all night long) and make owners responsible for the conduct of their employees. Currently, it’s common for business owners to say they had no idea their “girls” are engaging in prostitution.

There have been numerous arrests of women engaging in prostitution at Petaluma massage spas. But not having an ordinance has meant that police could do little more than cite women for prostitution. The hope is that the ordinance will drive illicit operators out of town and give police more tools to crack down on prostitution and human trafficking that is sometimes found at the establishments.

Monday’s council meeting will start at 7pm at City Hall, located at 11 English Street.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated an incorrect number of hours of massage education therapists would have to show prior to becoming certified. Under the current proposal therapists would have become certified through the California Massage Therapy Council, which requires 250 hours of massage instruction along with a background check. Patch regrets the error.