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Residents press Mount Pleasant to spare New Age Massage; village attorney says license was revoked in February
Summary
Multiple residents urged the village to allow New Age Massage and owner Mary to continue operating; the village attorney told the meeting the board voted in late February to revoke the business's license after a full hearing and that tonight's item was only to approve written findings.
Scores of residents spoke in support of Mary and New Age Massage during the public-comment period at the March 9 Mount Pleasant village board meeting, describing long-term care, pain relief and professional conduct and asking the board to reconsider any steps that would close the business.
"I can't live without Mary. She helps me so much with my back," said Kate Davidson, a resident who identified herself during public comment. Multiple speakers, including Angelica Kamacho, Mike Steinbach and Becky Steinbach, described personal medical benefits they attributed to Mary and called the clinic "clean" and "professional." Sal Heredia said Mary was "a big reason why I'm able to move as well as I can" after a serious spinal injury.
After public comment, the village attorney addressed the assembled speakers and said the board would not be voting on license revocation that evening because it had already held a full hearing in late February, with witnesses and a prosecutor, and had voted to revoke the license following that hearing. The attorney summarized the prior investigation as arising from a police report that someone had been assaulted at the establishment and said that investigators found several violations, including allegations tied to the license application. "The board already voted on it ... in late February after a full hearing with witnesses and testimony by the LE and by the village and its witnesses," the attorney said.
Supporters urged the board to consider the community benefits of the business and to allow an opportunity to cure any deficiencies. Connie Zakarelli, who said she has owned and operated physical therapy practices, urged equal consideration of both sides and noted the clinic appeared clean and professional.
The village attorney said the agenda for March 9 included an administrative step to approve and issue written findings to the licensee; the attorney declined to go into the allegations in detail at the public meeting and said the underlying records are public.
No board vote on revocation occurred at the March 9 meeting; the attorney characterized the revocation vote as an action already taken at the prior hearing.
