§ 9-324. Findings and purpose

The city council finds and declares as follows:

(a) The requirements and restrictions imposed by this article are reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city and are consistent with all applicable laws of the State of California.

(b) The city is authorized, by virtue of the Constitution of the State of California, and Section 51031 of the California Government Code, to regulate massage establishments by imposing reasonable standards relative to the skill and experience of massage owners and massage therapist or practitioners and imposing reasonable conditions on the operation of the massage establishment.

(c) The courts have long recognized massage as a pervasively regulated activity. There is opportunity for acts of prostitution and other unlawful sexual activity to occur in massage establishments and the establishment of reasonable standards for issuance of permits and restrictions on operations serves to reduce the risk of illegal activity.

(d) The restrictions and requirements contained in this article are intended to reduce the burden of massage establishment regulation on the police department.

(e) The regulations and restrictions contained in this article are intended to discourage massage establishments from degenerating into houses of prostitution and the means utilized in this article bear a reasonable and rational relationship to the goals sought to be achieved.

((Ord. No. 11-7, § 1, 7-19-11 )