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Council advances business‑license and massage/reflexology ordinances after policing concerns; debate over notice and outreach
Summary
Council approved first readings of Ordinances 7-90 (business‑license ground rules, notice and appeal process) and 7-91 (new massage/reflexology license standards) after staff and police cited a recent criminal investigation; some business owners said notice was short and requested more outreach before final action.
The Woodinville City Council on July 8 passed first readings of two ordinances expanding business‑license enforcement tools and tightening licensing rules for massage and reflexology operators. Staff said the measures respond to a recent criminal investigation and provide an administrative path — including notice, corrective actions and an appeal to a hearing examiner — to address businesses that are noncompliant or engaged in illegal activity.
Ordinance 7-90 revises chapter 5.02 to enumerate 13 specific grounds for denying or revoking a business license (including fraud, tax violations, public nuisance and misrepresentation in applications) and establishes a notice, corrective‑action and hearing/appeal process. City attorneys and staff said the key change is restoring clear due‑process protections that were absent from the prior code while giving the city a usable compliance path.
Ordinance 7-91 repeals and re‑adopts chapter 5.05 with new licensing requirements for massage and reflexology businesses: operators must ensure practitioners hold Washington State practitioner licenses or reflexology certificates; practitioners must be 18 or older; the code limits allowable contact and requires conspicuous display of practitioner credentials; it also authorizes limited inspections of common areas while businesses are open and sets criminal penalties for violations.
Police context and business concerns: Chief of Police said an investigation into one local business found evidence of illegal activity, which prompted staff to propose administrative options in addition to criminal enforcement. The chief said the criminal case is concluded and charges are being forwarded, and added the administrative tools would allow remedies in future cases without necessarily pursuing criminal charges.
Several massage and reflexology practitioners and business owners told council they received short notice about the proposals and feared unintended consequences. Councilmembers and staff agreed to extend outreach and said staff intends to delay second readings until August to allow more time for business feedback and clarifications.
Key exchanges included the police chief’s summary of the recent investigation and practitioners’ requests for clearer public guidance and assurance that training and student‑clinician scenarios would not be unduly affected.
