The City of Cypress has some problematic massage establishments, and the city is doing what it can to crack down.
City Attorney Anthony Taylor, at the October 14 City Council Meeting, gave a report on massage parlors and day spas in Cypress that have raised suspicion and have even required police involvement, and proposed to “amend and replace” some of the city’s protocols regarding them.
The city hopes to put in place a more strict standard to more fully regulate the establishments in the city and create a business climate not conducive to illicit activity.
Over the last two years, Cypress PD has found three places offering illegal services, two day spas that illegally offer massage services, and seven arrests related to illegal services at both massage establishments and day spas.
The new ordinance would essentially require employees at these establishments to have a higher level of licensing, will require them to pay in a bit more, and will put a couple more regulations in place.
The City Attorney described illegal massage establishments as problematic because they 1) potentially increase the risk of injury to massage clients due to improperly rained massage providers, 2) introduce the risk of prostitution and human trafficking, and 3) have negative effects upon surrounding businesses and properties.
Among other things, the new, stricter ordinance would require that one owner or manager be present at all times during hours of operation, and that owners and managers must obtain new “operator” permits.
On August 9 of this year, the City Attorney’s Office sent out a letter to all massage establishments in the city, inviting them to an outreach meeting on these proposed regulations.
Ten days later when the meeting took place, only one business representative showed up, with one other sending in emailed comments.
City Attorney Taylor said the feedback from those two representatives was for the most part positive and favorable toward the new regulations.
Taylor said places like massage training institutions will not need to comply with the new ordinance; they can continue operating as they have been, because these have not tended to be problematic.
The Council unanimously voted in favor of this initial phase.
The new ordinance will come at a slight financial cost to the businesses, but the city will give them a grace period to come into compliance, and hopes that these stricter rules will protect businesses, residents, customers and the integrity and professionalism of the massage industry in the City of Cypress.