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Solvang adopts ordinances on noise, massages

By Raiza Canelon/Staff Writer

Many hotel guests in Solvang will be pleased with one ordinance approved unanimously at Monday night’s Solvang City Council meeting: In-room massages will now be allowed as long as the massage therapist is on an approved list, which will require the masseuse or masseur to undergo a background check and have a permit or business license.

And local residents may be happy about another new ordinance, which will regulate “unreasonable” levels of noise.

Before beginning discussion of its agenda, however, the council took a moment to welcome back former Councilman Ken Palmer.

After breaking a 2-2 dead-lock that had endured for three intense meetings over three weeks, the four council members voted unanimously Dec. 29 to appoint Palmer to the vacancy created by Jim Richardson’s election as mayor.

Palmer, who had lost his re-election bid by 32 votes Nov. 4, was reinstated Monday night and took his position next to Richardson on the council dais.

“I want to express thanks for agreeing to allow me back to the council, and I hope to have the best next two years,” Palmer said.

Then, diving right into business, the council:

n Adopted the new massage ordinance, which became an agenda item after council members expressed interest in changing the ordinance in December, due to the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race.

The professional race, the biggest in the country, will again have a one-day “time trial” in Solvang in February, and riders have said they want the option to have private massages.

By city estimates, there are 62 massage therapists working in Solvang. Therapists who want to be on the approved list must be state-certified as massage therapists or have a Solvang city license.

The new ordinance will take effect in 30 days.

City Attorney Roy Hanley said he had worked closely with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department to make sure that denial or revocation of a massage therapist’s permit will be in line with California penal codes.

Reasons for a revocation would include conviction of a violent crime or other felony, such as sales or distribution of narcotics.

n Adopted an ordinance to regulate “unreasonable noise,” stemming from complaints about noise from events at the Solvang Veterans Hall, which is owned by the city.

The Solvang ordinance mirrors Santa Barbara County’s, so the Sheriff’s Department will have just one code to apply in situations inside and out- side city limits. Before this or-dinance was created, there was no provision in the Sol-vang Municipal Code dealing with noise violations, Hanley said.

Deputies can choose to use a decibel meter to judge the level of noise coming from an event or use distances outlined in the county’s ordinance.

The next city council meet-ing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 26 in Council Chambers at 1644 Oak St. in Solvang.

rcanelon@syvnews.com