This legislation, which will go into effect Oct. 27, gives the city the ability to shut down a business, not just stop an individual, said Beavercreek Planning and Development Director Randy Burkett. Massage spas that have anyone other than a massage therapist performing massages in Beavercreek will have 60 days after the effective date to register with the city.
The focus on unlicensed massage therapists is a change from the original legislation, which had proposed that all massage businesses register with the city.
The city changed the legislation after talking with several local massage businesses, Burkett said.
“We’re not trying to pick on massage therapists or massage practitioners,” Burkett said. “We’re trying to do our part to discourage illicit activities, sex trafficking from coming to Beavercreek.”
Kettering, Springboro, Fairborn and Miamisburg also recently passed similar legislation.
The Beavercreek Planning and Development department can deny a permit or registration to any business or massage therapist that has any sex-related offenses on their record, any felonies in the past five years or any drug violations, among other things. Any massage business must also be licensed by the state.
Under this new legislation, massage businesses must post their registration with the city in an easy-to-see place for customers. The business must be lit at all times to show that they are clearly open or closed. The ordinance also says no massages can be given past 10 p.m. or before 7 a.m.
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