Decatur council to discuss adopting massage parlor ordinance - wcia.com

[Molly Sweeney]

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The Decatur City Council will meet once again to talk about new rules for massage parlors — two weeks after they tabled the discussion, giving the community time to send them further input.

In early March, WCIA reported that Decatur was looking to explore new requirements and regulations for massage parlors. Some of the proposed regulations included:

• Get annual license renewals with the city
• Be subject to police, fire, and other city inspections
• Specify rules for employee and customer behavior, like always covering explicit areas

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But, during a council meeting which discussed the changes, the director of a local business which offers massage therapy spoke out, and asked the council to considers a compromise which keeps the community safe and is reasonable for local businesses.

According to city documents, the proposed amendment would include exceptions to operating
without a city license for facilities which include:

• Medical facilities
• Athletic programs
• Licensed cosmetologists
• Educational institutions
• State licensed home-based massage service providers

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Based on the suggestions the city received, other modifications were made to the proposed ordinance. This includes:

• A two-year license, which can alternate with the renewal of State licenses
• Altering language regarding facilities’ requirements to assist establishments occupied by solo massage therapists

If approved, the city hopes that the new ordinance will ensure all sanitation and operation standards are met. For example, all massage tables, bathtubs, and shower stalls must be able to be disinfected, bathrooms must provide hot and cold running water, a soap dispenser and sanitary towels, and oils, creams and lotions must be kept in clean, closed containers or cabinets. You can read more about the specifics of the ordinance here.

The Decatur City Council will meet Monday at 5:30 p.m. in the city council chambers.