Algonquin was one of several local towns that had problems with prostitution at message parlors.
Because Algonquin is a Home Rule Unit, it is allowed to pass local ordinances that are not in conflict with state law.
It has done so with regard to licensing “massage establishments.”
Here are some of the requirements:
1. The name of the person(s) who will serve as the licensee under whose management or supervision the massage establishment will be operated;
2. Copies of a valid license or licenses issued by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation pursuant to the Massage Licensing Act (225 ILCS 57/1 et seq.) (“Act”), for each massage therapist who will provide massage services at the massage establishment;
3. The applicant and each masseuse shall supply a photo ID and social security number and will be fingerprinted by the Police Department. In connection with the applicant or any employee, written authorization for the Chief of Police to conduct a criminal background investigation;
4. A description of the proposed massage establishment, including the number of massage therapists, other activities or business conducted at the same location, the physical facilities to be used, and a scaled drawing showing all ingress and egress locations and windows, and a floor layout diagram of the premises;
5. In the event the property is leased, a copy of the lease shall be submitted with the application that contains the name of the property owner; and
6. Such other information as the Village may request.
Number six allows a lot of latitude, just in case the Village Board missed something in the ordinance.
In addition, the Algonquin Police Chief is allowed to conduct “a criminal background check.” The applicant pays for it.
There is a listing of criminal activity for which a license may be turned down.
There is a stringent inspection requirement:
…the licensee shall provide any representative of the Village with a reasonable opportunity to inspect the premises for which the license is requested and to interview the licensee’s agents and employees for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this Section and other applicable ordinances and State and federal laws are being complied with. It shall be unlawful for any person to fail to allow any representative of the Village access to the premises of the massage establishment or to hinder such access in any manner. Refusal by the licensee to allow the Village representative access to the establishment shall be grounds for revoking the massage establishment license.
One raided parlor, Marigold Massage, was located in the Crystal Lake Plaza next to legitimate businesses before it closed. Crystal Lake has not yet followed Algonquin’s example by enacting a local enforcement ordinance.
All massage therapists must be licensed and a list of all working at the establishment must be supplied upon request.
There are lots of rules against sexual massages, e.g.,
It shall be unlawful for any employee or massage therapist in the massage establishment to place their hand upon, to touch with any part of a client’s body, or fondle in any manner, or massage a sexual or genital area of any person or to cause a person to touch, massage, or fondle the sexual or genital or gluteal area of the employee or massage therapist of the establishment.
If you want to read Algonquin’s ordinance, it can be found here.
The application might be of interest, too. It is here.
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A meeting will be held at 3 PM July 23rd at the Office of Administer Justice.
It is located at 1750 Grandstand Place #15, Elgin (847-844-1100).
Back in January I wrote of this possibility, not knowing of Algonquin’s approach.
The following article also has all of the massage parlor prostitution arrests that McHenry County Blog has chronicled:
What Can Be Done about Massage Parlors that Are Really Houses of Prostitution?
What’s the argument again for local municipalities to crack down on consensual transactions between consenting adults?
From the recent raids, we know that the masseuses are predominantly middle-aged American citizens, so the “sex trafficking is evil” bogey man doesn’t help.
Unless you want to claim that the Crystal Lake Plaza is blighted (it isn’t), the argument about these locations dragging the property values of surrounding areas down doesn’t work either.
There are zero police reports or rumors of violence taking place in these establishments.
Why again are we asking for Footloose-esque morality policing to take place?
If our cops really have this little to do, shouldn’t we instead be asking why we’re paying for so many cops?
If you do not understand why this would be detrimental to the health and well being of all humanity as we have known it on the face of this Earth – then there is no hope for humanity.
What about the prostitutes running Algonquin township ……
they’re vampires ….
sucking out their sustenance (taxes) out of all of us.
Actually, Cal, ORD 7034 was amended on 6/3/2014 to address this issue under the UDO…without the fanfare…also without explicit language and recognizing that prostitution is already illegal under state statute.
We have not been sitting on our hands….
So Mark, you’re playing the old ‘There’re no victims here, so where’s the crime?’ routine.
Footloose, Really?
How you can equate prostitution with a fictional movie about dancing is beyond me and really inane.
Prostitution is far from a victimless crime.
Let’s start with the denigration of the players.
I’m sure all these workers are all Megan Fox look-alikes who love sex and just want to do their part to make the world a better place.
I bet they have college degrees, full and gratifying social and personal lives but just like to help a fella out every once in a while.
While you’re at it, I bet the Johns are all crime, disease and drug free guys who are just succumbing to biology.
Hey, I bet it’s all on the up and up.
How about we move one of these houses of ill-repute next to you?
So you, your family and loved ones can see, first hand, how nice the neighborhood is maintained (when you have to tread carefully around disposed condoms and drug paraphernalia left in parking lots–been there and enjoyed that).
BTW, wonder why there are no PD reports?
It’s because these types of enterprises go through great lengths to avoid the authorities’ attention…it’s bad for business.
Funny, I’ll bet you’ll drop that liberal, circular argument that legalizing prostitution will magically increase the socio-economic status of all the players and the ancillary social ills will subside.
Go a head, try that argument….you dote.
They’re actually 40 to 50 year old American citizens who have made a conscious choice to massage strangers for a living rather than waiting tables or clerking at a gas station. Who are you to blithely assume that their job is worse than their alternatives?
There is zero risk of disease transmission from manual sexual stimulation. Even if the patrons are syphilitic junkies, it’s not an issue.
Here’s a better idea: how about we leave it up to the landlord of the Crystal Lake Plaza to make the call as to whether this place causes blight.
They have a huge financial stake in this if they lose a tenant over it.
The fact that there have been no tenant lease cancellations and the fact that the Crystal Lake Plaza gladly accepts their rent every month should be extremely telling as to the effect that this place has on the surrounding community.
They would be out in a heartbeat if used condoms or needles were strewn about the parking lot.
You’re being ridiculous.
So, they go out of their way to be good neighbors? And that’s bad?
Mark,
despite your anecdotal story about CL’s massage parlors, there is a vast amount of real information on trafficking and these brothels:
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-California/2014/07/10/California-Massage-Parlors-Busted-for-Human-Trafficking-Prostitution
http://www.krdo.com/news/human-trafficking-bust-linked-to-woman-who-delivered-prostitutes-to-spas/25257272
http://www.news10.net/story/news/local/auburn-grass-valley/2014/07/10/massage-auburn-nevada-city-investigation-arrest/12445241/
http://www.kjct8.com/home/headlines/FBI-investigates-prostitution-at-local-massage-parlors-263560531.html
and these are just recent, tip of the iceberg stories…not some conjecture on behalf of an anonymous poster who imagines there’s no trafficking component to massage parlors.
BTW, you can get STDs from manual stimulation. Although no fluids are exchanged, skin to skin contact can lead to some forms of STD.
All that said, you seem quite dismissive about having a parlor next door…
Your argument about the Plaza management…
Really?
Since you like to conjecture, let’s play.
Suppose the landlord is absentee (or has no morals) and only cares about getting their rent.
Suppose the rent is cheap and the other businesses turn a blind eye because they don’t want to rock the boat.
Your logic is awfully flawed to assume the parlor is a good tenant and neighbor.
No surprise then, that you deflected my question.
Lastly, Gacy and Dahmer were known to be great neighbors.
Go look up every serial killer who lived in a community–all their neighbors thought these were ‘great guys’, ‘quiet’ and ‘considerate’.
Kinda taints your last supposition that a good neighbor is a great thing….
Mark…..you TOASTED “Really?” and served him on a platter.
Wow, that was an impressive rebuttal.
Glad to hear it.
I guess you can call this a happy ending!
Well not for the users at Rub Maps at least.
Yeah because that is really going to stop prostitution!
Kind of like how we stopped drugs… wake up people.
If you did somehow remove all forms of prostitution, then rape would go through the roof!