Woodbury City Council Passes Ordinance Regulating Massage Parlors

After a lengthy discussion that included representatives from both sides of the issue, the Woodbury city council on Wednesday evening passed Ordinance 1843 which requires massage therapists in the city to have a license to operate.

According to the ordinance:

"In order to prevent illicit massage operations and protect against the existence of illicit massage establishments or operations in the City and to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare, including the protection of the City’s legitimate massage therapists’ profession and reputation, the City deems it necessary to regulate therapeutic massage establishments and massage therapists through the licensing process."

Mayor Mary Giuliani Stephens and councilwomen Amy Scoggins and Julie Ohs all approved the motion.

Of the four councilmembers present, only Christopher Burns abstained—and that was only due to a professional conflict of interest.

Woodbury police commander Jay Alberio also gave the ordinance his full support: "From a public safety perspective it's a good ordinance ... many massage therapist operations are a front for prostitution."

Alberio cited two separate cases in Woodbury's recent past in which sex trafficking was happening inside ostensibly legitimate establishments.

"If the ordinance had been in place at the time these other businesses started, they would not have been able to open their doors."

Despite clear support from the city council and public safety personnel, the ordinance did not enjoy backing from everyone in attendance. 

"If massage therapists are further regulated against, prostitutes will simply change their job title and description and then the council has to continue passing ordinances," Kathryn Berg, of the Minnesota Natural Health Legal Reform Project, told the council.

"Regulating massage therapists becomes a game of whack-a-mole," Berg said.

Barbara York, president of the Minnesota Therapeutic Massage Network, also spoke out against the ordinance.

"The costs to comply with this (ordinance)—liability insurance, schooling, certification and licensures—are minor obstacles for sex traffickers. If they want in here, there will get in," York told the council.

"Cities that have knuckled down on the prostitution issue rather than massage therapists have been much more effective," York told the council.

Councilwoman Scoggins simplified the issue by asking Alberio whether the ordinance would help protect residents of Woodbury.

Her conclusion sealed the deal just before the vote was taken.

"There is no perfect way to stop criminal activity but if Ordinance 1843 is going to help our police department combat crime, I move to pass it," Scoggins concluded.