Council advances proposed ordinance to license massage businesses with 90‑day compliance window

The City of Lincoln discussed a proposed ordinance to require massage establishments to obtain a city license and to consent to inspections by building and safety officers.

Mister Hovlett, who introduced the ordinance, said the change responds to reports from other communities and to previous local issues. “We're looking to amend our code ... to require a massage establishment/parlor to be licensed with the city of Lincoln that requires certain inspection requirements,” Hovlett said, adding that licensing would allow the city to remove a license and close businesses that do not comply rather than relying solely on court orders.

Councilmembers raised implementation questions including grandfathering, inspection capacity and timing. Mister Anderson pressed about effective dates and suggested allowing businesses time to comply. "If this was passed at our next city council meeting, does it not take effect until May 1 then, or is it immediate?" Anderson asked. Hovlett responded that he could change the effective date and proposed making the ordinance effective 90 days after passage to allow businesses time to come into compliance.

Chief Meister described existing enforcement tools. “The city attorney and I worked together to put a stop to an establishment that was operating illegally ... through the means that he described, search warrants, different court orders,” Meister said, noting the city has had to use warrants and court actions while this ordinance is not yet enacted.

The ordinance includes a nominal $25 application fee aligned to the fiscal year; staff and council agreed to identify and notify existing establishments and to place the ordinance on the regular agenda for final action.

What’s next: The ordinance will appear on the regular council agenda; staff will identify establishments, notify them of the new requirement and return with final ordinance language including any effective‑date adjustments.