After eliminating a series of provisions strongly opposed by the area’s massage therapists, the Deerfield Village Board Monday night unanimously approved the licensing of massage establishments.
The proposed ordinance originally required all massage therapists to pay an annual fee, to be fingerprinted, and to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases before obtaining an operating license.
The ordinance approved Monday night eliminated the fee, fingerprinting and STD testing from the licensing requirement. Also, massage therapists will need to renew their licenses every two years as opposed to the annual renewal required by the original draft.
The proposal that originally came before the board in June was modeled after a similar measure adopted in Buffalo Grove. At the time, Police Chief L. Patrick Anderson said the aim of the ordinance was to avoid the difficulties other communities have faced in distinguishing legitimate massage establishments from illegitimate businesses.
