WILLMAR — A public hearing regarding the regulation and licensing of massage therapists and massage therapy businesses will take place during the regular meeting of the Willmar City Council on Monday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the auditorium at the Willmar Municipal Utilities building.
While introducing the ordinance at the July 17 council meeting, Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt thanked City Attorney Robert Scott, Detective Sgt. Chad Nelson and Katy Lundell-Stuhr from the Ridgewater College massage therapy program in helping craft the ordinance.
Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt
“We felt (the ordinance) would help protect the many legitimate massage therapists and businesses in our community and help with sanitation needs and help prevent criminal activity,” Felt said.
Felt provided a brief overview of the ordinance, which would require both massage therapists and massage therapy businesses to be licensed by the city and pay a licensing fee set by the council. Exceptions would made be for various medical professionals and facilities to operate without a license, such as nursing homes and chiropractic offices.
Businesses and individual therapists would have insurance requirements and meet educational certification requirements, and be subject to a criminal background check. It would be required that the massage therapist be at least 18 years old.
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The ordinance would also require specific areas of the body be covered during the therapy and prohibit intentional touching of specific body parts. It would also specify that massage therapy businesses operate only between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
“We found in our community some businesses are open substantially later than that,” Felt commented.
The ordinance also includes sanitation requirements for services, linens and handwashing, and allows for inspection by public health, building officials and police during business hours to ensure compliance. It also prohibits explicit advertising for massage therapy businesses.
“Various massage therapy practitioners in our area have expressed support for such an ordinance and the requirements that were noted,” Felt to the council. “We also feel that this would be a valuable tool for prevention and removal of businesses that operate in unsafe and unsanitary manners or involved in criminal activity in our community.”
He noted that Willmar has several massage therapy businesses, most of which operate as legitimate entities, but the Police Department has taken a number of complaints of some that operate with questionable business practices.
“Various massage businesses across the state have been used as fronts for prostitution, human trafficking and money laundering by criminal entities,” Felt commented. “Unfortunately, our community is not immune from this.”
He explained that a recent investigation into transaction card fraud at a massage business in Willmar prompted charges against a 42-year-old business owner for prostitution, operating a disorderly house and financial transaction card fraud.
“Evidence at the scene appeared to indicate ongoing and long-standing criminal activity of this type in Willmar,” Felt said.
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Councilor Mike O’Brien asked how many massage therapy businesses there are in the city of Willmar, and Felt said it is hard to say because they are currently not licensed.
“I know we’ve had probably at least three that have been on our radar for various complaints from the community on a fairly regular basis, but they are difficult cases to investigate and even more difficult to prosecute,” he added.
The complete agenda for the Aug. 7 meeting should be available online at willmarmn.gov .
By Jennifer Kotila
Jennifer Kotila is a reporter for West Central Tribune of Willmar, Minnesota. She focuses on local government, specifically the City of Willmar, and business.
She can be reached via email at: [email protected] or phone at 320-214-4339.
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While introducing the ordinance at the July 17 council meeting, Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt thanked City Attorney Robert Scott, Detective Sgt. Chad Nelson and Katy Lundell-Stuhr from the Ridgewater College massage therapy program in helping craft the ordinance.
Willmar Police Chief Jim Felt
“We felt (the ordinance) would help protect the many legitimate massage therapists and businesses in our community and help with sanitation needs and help prevent criminal activity,” Felt said.
Felt provided a brief overview of the ordinance, which would require both massage therapists and massage therapy businesses to be licensed by the city and pay a licensing fee set by the council. Exceptions would made be for various medical professionals and facilities to operate without a license, such as nursing homes and chiropractic offices.
Businesses and individual therapists would have insurance requirements and meet educational certification requirements, and be subject to a criminal background check. It would be required that the massage therapist be at least 18 years old.
ADVERTISEMENT
The ordinance would also require specific areas of the body be covered during the therapy and prohibit intentional touching of specific body parts. It would also specify that massage therapy businesses operate only between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.
“We found in our community some businesses are open substantially later than that,” Felt commented.
The ordinance also includes sanitation requirements for services, linens and handwashing, and allows for inspection by public health, building officials and police during business hours to ensure compliance. It also prohibits explicit advertising for massage therapy businesses.
“Various massage therapy practitioners in our area have expressed support for such an ordinance and the requirements that were noted,” Felt to the council. “We also feel that this would be a valuable tool for prevention and removal of businesses that operate in unsafe and unsanitary manners or involved in criminal activity in our community.”
He noted that Willmar has several massage therapy businesses, most of which operate as legitimate entities, but the Police Department has taken a number of complaints of some that operate with questionable business practices.
“Various massage businesses across the state have been used as fronts for prostitution, human trafficking and money laundering by criminal entities,” Felt commented. “Unfortunately, our community is not immune from this.”
He explained that a recent investigation into transaction card fraud at a massage business in Willmar prompted charges against a 42-year-old business owner for prostitution, operating a disorderly house and financial transaction card fraud.
“Evidence at the scene appeared to indicate ongoing and long-standing criminal activity of this type in Willmar,” Felt said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Councilor Mike O’Brien asked how many massage therapy businesses there are in the city of Willmar, and Felt said it is hard to say because they are currently not licensed.
“I know we’ve had probably at least three that have been on our radar for various complaints from the community on a fairly regular basis, but they are difficult cases to investigate and even more difficult to prosecute,” he added.
The complete agenda for the Aug. 7 meeting should be available online at willmarmn.gov .
By Jennifer Kotila
Jennifer Kotila is a reporter for West Central Tribune of Willmar, Minnesota. She focuses on local government, specifically the City of Willmar, and business.
She can be reached via email at: [email protected] or phone at 320-214-4339.
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