Concerns raised over massage code

Eric Leake

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

Jeana DeMarchis has worked hard to differentiate her new North Las Vegas massage business from the "full-service" types in the phone book.

"We've been trying to turn the massage therapist stigma around with the residents on a daily basis," said DeMarchis, marketing sales manager at the Massage and Healthy Body Wellness Center.

She is afraid a rewrite of the city's massage ordinance, set to be considered by the City Council Wednesday, blurs the distinction by allowing outcall massage. Proponents say the ordinance expands services and is not a threat.

"It's very frustrating because it took us almost four months to get people to understand that massage is clean," DeMarchis said. "You're going to open up our city for prostitution that's being passed as massage."

The outcall provision would allow licensed massage therapists to work on customers, including those of the opposite sex, at their homes. Outcall massage is permitted in every other valley municipality, though only Henderson currently permits massage by the opposite sex.

Councilwoman Stephanie Smith said she is not afraid the provision will be abused.

"These are people who have gone to school, who have passed standardized tests, and who have documentation to be allowed to do this," Smith said. "Anybody could run a bad operation if they wanted to, and they certainly wouldn't come and apply for a license."

She said the revised ordinance would provide services to people, such as the elderly or disabled, who may not be able to travel to a massage center.

"You're denying services to our residents that people in the rest of the valley have," Smith said.

Nor is Councilwoman Shari Buck worried. She said the city has been working to draft the ordinance for more than a year and that the police department was also involved in the process.

As part of the revised ordinance, a police investigation fee for all massage therapist applicants would be increased to $100 from $75. Also, the applicant must have graduated from an accredited school and be nationally certified.

"I believe we're more strict than anybody else in the county," Buck said.

She said she has heard from massage therapists eager to work in the city, and added that the ordinance should encourage more residents to practice massage.

"From what I understand, in our old ordinance there were such restrictions I don't think there was anyone who wanted to come to North Las Vegas," she said.

The only business willing to follow the old ordinance was DeMarchis', the sole licensed massage business in North Las Vegas.

"They never had allowed massage therapists in the history of North Las Vegas. They put us through the wringer," said DeMarchis, adding that she wanted her business in North Las Vegas because that's where she lives.

DeMarchis said her center at 4444 W. Craig Road employs a dozen therapists and practices wellness, offering everything from yoga to massage to Pilates. She is concerned that the city may be lowering its standards.

She said she understands the city may permit outcall and that it may be popular.

"We're not interested in doing them," she said of outcall services. "If it passes, we'll have no choice."