Santa Barbara Council Approves Ordinance with New Rules for Massage Providers

A new Santa Barbara ordinance will force massage establishments and therapists to pay more fees and comply with new requirements. The ordinance passed the City Council in a 5-1 vote on Tuesday, with Councilman Oscar Gutierrez voting against it and Councilman Mike Jordan recusing himself because his household includes a masseuse. Gutierrez said he feared it could be “weaponized” against businesses. “I just know that in the past there have been certain businesses when they got accused or faced with certain repercussions, they took it out on their competition,” Gutierrez said. “So I’m worried this will encourage that.” Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon said they tried to craft the ordinance in a way that gives them the enforcement tools to deal with bad actors and protect law-abiding establishments.

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