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6.4.C. - Page 23 <br /> REPORT <br /> To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br /> From the City Manager <br /> September 28, 2015 <br /> SUBJECT <br /> Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Chapter 18A (Massage Services) of the Code of <br /> the City of Redwood City Relating to the Regulation of Massage Businesses <br /> RECOMMENDATION <br /> Waive first reading and introduce an ordinance repealing Chapter 18A and adopting a <br /> new Chapter 18A (Massage Services) of the Code of the City of Redwood City relating <br /> to the regulation of massage businesses. <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> Prior to 2009, individual municipalities, not the State of California, were responsible for <br /> regulating massage businesses and massage professionals. In 2009, the State <br /> Legislature passed the California Massage Therapy Law or Senate Bill 731. This <br /> legislation established the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC), a nonprofit <br /> entity charged with issuing voluntary permits to all massage therapists in the state. The <br /> law also significantly limited cities' regulatory authority over massage businesses. In <br /> 2011, Redwood City amended its massage ordinance to comply with SB 731 and to <br /> require all massage practitioners working in Redwood City to obtain a certificate from <br /> the CMTC. <br /> In 2014, the state legislature enacted AB 1147, returning authority to cities and counties <br /> to regulate the massage industry. Under AB 1147, cities and counties have increased <br /> authority to regulate the massage industry. The new legislation allows the CMTC to <br /> continue to certify massage practitioners while empowering local governments to <br /> exercise land use control and impose operating standards and permit, licensing and <br /> certification requirements on massage businesses. However, cities are prohibited from <br /> imposing certification requirements on individual massage therapists unless they own <br /> the massage business. <br /> Following the passage of AB 1147, the County of San Mateo proposed that all cities in <br /> San Mateo County regulate massage businesses via a model ordinance drafted to <br /> coordinate with the County's massage ordinance. The expectation is that the adoption <br /> of a uniform County-wide program governing massage establishments will deter the <br /> operation of illegal massage businesses within the County. The County reports that its <br /> ordinance has been effective in removing illegal massage establishments, and that <br /> there currently are none operating in unincorporated areas of the County. <br /> ATTY/DOCS-STAFF REPORTS/DRAFTS/MASSAGE ORD STAFF REPORT(RS CLEAN)9-21-15 <br /> REV:09-17-15 RS <br /> Page 1 of 4 <br />