Lafayette Mulls Crackdown On "Rub Joints"

The Lafayette City Council hopes to establish new standards regulating the operation of massage establishments some say are offering customers more than a traditional massage.

Council members were handed the issue earlier this year when several residents spoke out against the parlors,.

At least one parlor operator said at the time that he ran a legitimate business with his wife as a licensed massage therapist, but since the issue was raised questions have surfaced about exactly what is being offered at other establishments in town.

Council members will review introduction of Ordinance 606, which establishes standards for "massage establishments" and "provides certain minimum health and safety standards for the operation of massage establishments, their managing employees, and massage practitioners."

If approved, the ordinance would require operators to be certified by the California Massage Therapy Council. The CAMTC requires applicants hoping to acquire a Certified Massage Therapist certification to produce transcripts indicating 500 hours of training with at least 250 hours of that from a CAMTC-approved school; Live Scan fingerprints; passport photo; photocopy of state identification and payment of a small fee.

The matter comes before the council for review at their April 23 meeting.