Council approves ordinance amendments to add tattoo and body-art definitions and permit them in downtown zoning

The St. Joseph City Council on Jan. 20 approved ordinance amendments to add definitions for 'beauty salon' and 'tattoo/body-art establishment' and to permit tattoo and body-art businesses in the downtown B1 district (and, by extension, in some highway commercial districts where applicable).

Planner staff told council the zoning change responds to an inquiry from a prospective business and that the current code lacked an explicit listing for tattoo and body-art uses. The proposed change clarifies where the use is allowed; staff noted that licensing and public-health oversight of body-art establishments is addressed under the city's existing licensing ordinance (608), and the licensing code and health/inspection procedures may be updated in a subsequent ordinance revision.

Councilmember Kevin Clusner asked that tattoo/body-art language be moved to a separate, freestanding line in the code rather than be listed alongside beauty-salon uses; council amended the draft to relocate the entry and then voted to adopt the ordinance amendment and a summary-publication resolution (2026-010). "I'd rather see it... stand by itself as opposed to having the ordinance say it's kind of on par with a beauty salon," the councilmember said, and the council approved the amendment by voice vote.

The change does not alter state or county health-inspection requirements; staff said they will coordinate licensing and inspection standards as part of any follow-up ordinance work. Council authorized summary publication so the code change can be published and reflected in city ordinance materials.