Saratoga News

Saratoga to consider stricter regulations for massage

By Sarah Lombardo

It's Saratoga's turn to tighten its city ordinances against less-than-legitimate massage establishments, according to City Manager Larry Perlin. Perlin and the City Council will discuss a proposed new city ordinance outlining permit requirements and regulations for the businesses at its council meeting Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Senior Day Care room of the Community Center.

The new ordinance is similar to one the city already has on the books, but according to a report by City Attorney Mike Riback, it "enacts a rigorous permit process." Under the new ordinance, anyone applying for a massage-establishment permit, an employee-management permit, a massage-practitioner permit or a temporary employees permit must submit detailed personal or business information.

Massage practitioners must also go through a physical examination and pass an annual practical examination administered by a local physician, or have completed 300 hours of education and training at a recognized school and have passed the National Certification for Therapeutic Massage.

"This is so we know that the person who wants to practice really knows something about the subject," Riback told the council.

The tighter ordinance was created, in part, in response to the arrest last summer of a massage practitioner at Relaxation Time, an establishment located on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, on charges of solicitation for prostitution. The business was scheduled to go before the City Council for the possible revocation of its license for what the city called violations of its agreement with the city.

But in addition, Perlin said, the new ordinance keeps Saratoga in step with other cities' response to illegitimate businesses.

"It was felt that the old ordinance had loopholes that were being abused by some businesses," he said. "There is a phenomenon that is occurring right now throughout the Bay Area where you have these almost brothels that are operating under the guise of massage establishments, and the proprietors are targeting those cities where they have weak ordinances in place. What's been happening is that city after city has been tightening down the ordinances and making the ability to operate more restrictive. Now it's Saratoga's turn."

Perlin told the council in December that he does not want the council to reject the new ordinance simply because it is too much work, but that he wants the council to discuss how the city, with a limited staff since its reorganization earlier this year, will go about enforcing the new code.

"What we will be looking at is how we are going to do this," Perlin said, adding that officers from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Westside Substation will be on hand to discuss how they could help. "That may be the answer right there," Perlin said of the possibility of the sheriff's assistance. "But if they can't, then what remains to be seen is what can be done by staff and how much time will that take and what staff might have to scale back on."

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]