Ark Valley News - City considers massage parlor ordinance

City considers massage parlor ordinance
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: October 08, 2015

The City of Valley Center may regulate massage parlors.

The city council on Oct 6 discussed whether to consider an ordinance that creates a licensing procedure for such businesses.

Police Chief Mark Hephner and City Attorney Barry Arbuckle will bring a proposed ordinance to the council at a later meeting. The council also will look at how other cities — such as Wichita and Park City — handle regulations.

No final decisions have been made.

Hephner said a specific ordinance would allow the city to perform background checks on owners and operators to be sure they had no sexual-related convictions on their records. Hephner said tight regulations in Wichita are pushing shady operations into surrounding smaller cities.

That hasn't happened in Valley Center yet, Hephner said, adding that he wanted to be "pre-emptive."

However, the move comes just over a month after a Valley Center massage parlor owner was arrested on a charge of prostitution. Sharon Latimer is scheduled to appear in municipal court on the charge Oct. 14. She is accused of agreeing to accept money for a sex act. Latimer has denied the allegation.

Hephner said a current ordinance allows the city to prosecute the prostitution charge. However, an ordinance specific to massage parlors would allow the city to regulate activities inside the business.

For example, Hephner said, the ordinance could require clients to keep their private body parts covered during massages.

At least one council member, Lou Cicirello, saw no need for additional regulations, but wanted to see a specific ordinance.

Arbuckle suggested that the city didn't need the specific rules.

Council member Al Hobson said he didn't want new regulations to burden existing massage businesses.

Hephner said he has been talking to other massage therapists in Valley Center about new regulations, and they seemed receptive to a licensing procedure.

"We don't want to put anyone out of business," Hephner said. "We want to be reasonable."

Goff sidewalk

project on track

A long-discussed project to install sidewalks in the Valley Meadows neighborhood is back on track.

The city council this week approved an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation that spells out the procedures for the project, including federal funding the city will receive. The city will be responsible for 20 percent of the project.

The sidewalk, which will be five feet wide, will run along Goff from Meridian to Meadow. The sidewalk will be on the south side of Goff from Meridian to Fieldstone and then will switch to the north side of Goff the rest of the way to Meadow.

A sidewalk also is planned for the north side of Fieldstone and the east side of Clover.

The sidewalk wasn't immediately accepted by some home-owners.

A handful of residents objected to the original plans for the project, saying the sidewalk was too close to their homes.

In reconfigured plans, the sidewalk was moved closer to the street.

The city still has to gain construction right-of-way approval from each affected property owner.

The project is expected to go out for bids in May 2016. At the same time, the city will put up for bids a walking path project in the Emporia median between Main and Fifth.

In other business Oct. 6, the council:

•Gave final approval to the city's standard traffic ordinance and gave first-round approval to the uniform public offense code.

•Agreed to pay $1,862 to the owner of farmland south of Ford affected by the stormwater drainage project. The payment would cover the two years that part of the land was unable to be farmed because it was used as right-of-way.

•Met in executive session for 10 minutes to discuss personnel. No decisions were made.

•Agreed to close City Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 21 for an all-employee meeting to discuss changes to the city's health insurance plans.

•Learned that the city will advertise for applications for the community development director position. The city offered the job to a candidate, who turned it down.

•Was reminded that the city will have a joint meeting with the Valley Center school board at 6 p.m. Oct. 20 at the District Office.

•Heard Hobson suggest naming the city's new holiday lights "Darla's Lights." Hobson made a motion to have the mayor make such a proclamation as a way to honor Darla Mainz, a former downtown business owner who died Aug. 8. She was involved in downtown beautification efforts. The motion was not supported.