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Rialto council adopts 45‑day moratorium on new or expanded massage parlors
Summary
The Rialto City Council voted unanimously to adopt an interim 45‑day urgency ordinance temporarily halting establishment, expansion or intensification of massage‑parlor businesses while police and legal staff review rules to address reported crime and state-law changes.
The Rialto City Council on a unanimous roll-call vote adopted an interim 45‑day urgency ordinance temporarily banning the establishment, expansion or intensification of massage‑parlor businesses inside city limits to give staff time to revise local regulations.
Mayor Joe Baca and city staff said the short moratorium will allow the police department and the city attorney’s office to work through conflicts between recent state law changes and the city’s current permit and enforcement processes. Police and staff told the council they have observed a rise in crime tied to some massage‑establishment operations and need time to update ordinances.
Police Chief Mark Clean, addressing the council before the vote, said the requested pause will help align Rialto’s local rules with recent state requirements while strengthening enforcement tools. “We’ve seen an increase in the crime at some of these establishments,” he said, urging the council to approve the moratorium so staff can return with proposed ordinance revisions.
Carla Perez moved the urgency ordinance; Edward Montoya seconded. The clerk called a roll‑call vote: Council member Carla Perez — aye; Council member Montoya — aye; Council member Andy Caraceres — aye; Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott — aye; Mayor Joe Baca — aye. The motion carried and the moratorium took effect as an interim urgency measure.
The ordinance was presented to the council as an administrative pause rather than a final policy change. Staff said the 45‑day window would be used to draft regulatory updates and coordinate with the police department and city attorney to return an amended ordinance for council consideration. No specific ordinance number or text beyond what was read into the record was included in the discussion in the transcript; staff indicated the item was exempt from CEQA and intended as a temporary measure.
Next steps: staff and the city attorney’s office will draft specific ordinance language and return to the council for formal adoption or further action at a later meeting.
