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Carlsbad police present tighter massage-business rules; council introduces ordinance
Summary
Police Lieutenant Alonzo de Velasco presented amendments to the Carlsbad Municipal Code to strengthen oversight of massage businesses — adding lease requirements, live‑scan background checks for certain owners, a 5‑year ban after revocation or forfeiture, recordkeeping rules, lock/entrance requirements, and fees ($142 application, $706 appeal). The council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance for future adoption hearings.
Police Lieutenant Alonzo de Velasco told the council the proposed ordinance updates Chapter 5.16 to supplement state regulation and give the city additional tools to detect and deter illicit massage businesses.
De Velasco said the package would require massage business applicants to submit lease and rental agreements, and would require live‑scan DOJ and FBI criminal background reports for business owners who are not CAMTC‑certified and who own more than 5 percent of the business. He described a new 5‑year prohibition on relicensing at the same location following revocation and a 5‑year employment/ownership ban for individuals whose certificates were revoked or forfeited.
He also described operational rules: interior treatment-room doors could not be locked during a service (with limited exceptions), main entrances must remain unlocked during business hours (with narrow exceptions for very small owner‑operated businesses), businesses must retain detailed service records for two years, alcohol and controlled substances would be prohibited on premises, and audio/video monitoring would require patrons’ written consent. De Velasco said the change would close patterns his team observed where closed illicit businesses attempted to reopen at the same location under different applicants.
De Velasco presented proposed fees — a $142 application fee and a $706 administrative appeal fee — to help cover administrative costs. He said the police department would remain the primary enforcement body and anticipated the fiscal impact would be minimal and tied to application and appeal volumes.
Councilmembers asked about safeguards against applicants hiding connections by checking different business-type boxes, public access to lists of compliant businesses, and whether the city could release license information. De Velasco said staff maintains a database of issued and revoked certificates and that applicants are checked against that list; he said he would check whether certain licensing information could be released to the public.
After brief discussion and questions, the council voted unanimously to introduce the ordinance and proceed to later hearings and adoption steps.
