Santa Rosa debuts new regulations to crack down on illicit massage businesses amid trafficking concerns - The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

[MARISA ENDICOTT]

The new ordinance aims to curb illicit activities and unsafe conditions at some local businesses following community concern and ramped up enforcement operations.


A surge in community concerns and intensified city code enforcement have led to a crackdown on illicit activity and unsafe conditions at some Santa Rosa massage businesses, including the rescue of three women believed to be trafficking survivors.

Since the issue gained broader attention, the demand has remained clear: strengthen Santa Rosa’s regulations to better prevent illicit services and potential sex trafficking in the first place.

Next week, the City Council will consider a revamped ordinance designed to tighten oversight of massage establishments. The proposed changes, previewed at a Santa Rosa Planning Commission meeting Thursday, were developed by the Planning and Economic Development Department with input from outside experts and other nearby cities’ laws. The effort follows months of public discussions, safety hearings and direct engagement with the massage industry.

During public comment, a massage therapist with 17 years of experience described a growing number of massage businesses near both her office and home, as well as repeated encounters with people soliciting sexual services from her. She said she has long seen illicit massage parlors operating brazenly and illegally, while she has dutifully followed all regulations.

The situation, she said, is distressing. “They’re not hiding what they’re doing. We need to really crack down.”

Santa Rosa officials estimate there are currently 130 massage businesses in the city, some unpermitted.

Planning and Economic Development Director Gabe Osburn acknowledged the challenge of stamping out illicit activity without unfairly burdening legitimate businesses. He emphasized there had been “documented evidence of illegal activity such as prostitution and trafficking” in some cases.

“The balance that we have here is that we’re also adding the regulation to legitimate businesses that make up the fabric of of our small business community,” he said.

A city staff report noted that Santa Rosa’s existing ordinance, adopted in 2010, focuses on business licensing and revenue with minimal regulatory oversight.

In the meantime, state law has changed to allow cities to impose zoning, licensing, and health and safety requirements on massage establishments. Other communities, including Benicia and San Rafael, have strengthened their regulations accordingly, and the California Massage Therapy Council — the state’s certifying body — has recommended them as models for Santa Rosa.

The proposed ordinance would require massage businesses to register and certify with the city to operate legally. Some of the requirements come with exceptions to avoid unintended consequences for legitimate and different types of massage operators.

Certain features identified as red flags, such as neon and LED signs, services before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m., coverings on windows into waiting rooms, sexual paraphernalia on-site or inappropriate attire and living on the premises in most cases, would be explicitly prohibited.

Advertising on erotic massage or classified websites — often featuring vague service descriptions accompanied by suggestive images and emojis — would also be banned.

And the ordinance would hold business owners more accountable by mandating that a major violation at one location triggers inspections at all other properties under the same ownership.

Code enforcement officials noted Thursday two businesses with violations under investigation are owned by someone with ties to several shops in around town.

Many of the massage businesses that have raised suspicions — often clustered within a few blocks — exhibit those same red flags, from blocked windows to locked doors and late-night hours.

In the past year, Code Enforcement, responsible for making sure properties and businesses follow building and zoning rules, has opened at least 20 investigations into massage businesses for various minor and more serious city code violations. Some of the issues have been easily resolved while others have led to closures.

Currently, 18 cases remain open, according to Santa Rosa city spokesperson Katy Oceguera. Of those, six are under active investigation at various stages of the enforcement process.

Public records obtained by The Press Democrat from investigations into two now apparently closedbusinesses revealed walled-off rooms, bathing products, bottles of personal lubricants, women’s undergarments, unpermitted construction, locked-door services and employees working without proper certification.