Grass Valley City Council to talk massage regulation and hold badge pinning for new police...

[massage]

In the near future, all massage businesses in the Grass Valley area might be required to obtain general liability insurance to ensure the protection of their clients.

This new requirement, which will be added to Chapter 9.10 of Title 9 of the Grass Valley Municipal Code, is part of the police department initiative to tighten local control over massage establishments in order to prevent the prevalence of human trafficking practices. Council members will discuss the first reading of this measure during a Grass Valley City Council meeting scheduled to begin at City Hall on 7 p.m. Tuesday. The ordinance will require operators of massage businesses to obtain a general liability insurance policy that is at least $1 million “per occurrence for injury or death to one person arising out of the operation of the massage establishments and the administration of a massage.”

On March 8, Grass Valley City Council reviewed and approved the first reading of an ordinance to be added as Chapter 9. 10 of Title 9 to establish a permitting process for local therapists and massage establishments.

During the same meeting, Council members suggested that the ordinance include a general liability insurance to protect patrons in the event of an injury.

“Since that March 8 meeting, I have spoken to several massage therapists who are currently licensed and practicing in the city of Grass Valley,” wrote Lt. Steve Johnson in the staff report. “Each of them had a $1,000,000 general liability insurance policy and relayed to me that this requirement would not be an additional burden to them.”

The new permitting process and liability insurance complies with the provision of Assembly Bill 1147. The legislation became effective on Jan. 1, 2015 and restores some local control by allowing municipalities to regulate the massage industry through land use ordinances, business licensing, or health and safety requirements. If the Council passes the second reading of the massage regulation ordinance on Tuesday, it will become effective 30 days after the March 22 meeting.

Also on Tuesday, Lt. Alex Gammelgard, an 11-year veteran of the Grass Valley Police Department, will be officially sworn in as the new Police Chief of Grass Valley through a badge-pinning ceremony. Gammelgard will replace former Chief John Foster, who retired at the end of 2015 after dedicating 17 years of service to the community.

In other business, Council members will review a request to defer the frontage improvement work at 290 Sierra College Drive.

The frontage improvement was part of the development review application by Briarpatch Co-Op to expand a parking lot. According to city documents, the construction of a sidewalk along the property’s Litton Drive frontage was included in the application per the requirements of Municipal Code Section 12.08.010.

For more information, please visit: http://www.cityofgrassvalley.com/

To contact Staff Writer Teresa Yinmeng Liu, please call 530-477-4236, or email [email protected]


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