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<br /> <br /> Staff Report <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />To: Mayor Fischer and Members of the City Council <br /> <br />From: Heidi Heller, City Clerk/HR Manager <br /> <br />Date: February 25, 2026 <br /> <br />Re: Consider Amendments to City Code Ch. 822, Tattoo-Body Art <br /> <br />Action To Be Considered: <br />Council discussion only and provide direction to staff. <br /> <br />Background: <br />The city has had a chapter in the City Code for many years, strictly regulating tattoo businesses. <br />In 2021, staff received two requests for microblading businesses (semi-permanent make-up), <br />which is considered tattooing. The Council discussed changes to the code and adopted all new <br />language for Chapter 822, which no longer requires tattoo businesses to maintain a minimum <br />distance from residential uses. The Council felt that tattoos have become normalized, and there <br />are no longer the concerns that were once associated with tattoo shops. The State of Minnesota <br />also began licensing tattoo technicians and establishments in 2013. The 2021 adopted code <br />language still required a city license and limited the number of regular tattoo business licenses to <br />one, with new language that had no limit on the number of licenses for businesses that only <br />provide microblading/semi-permanent make-up services. There is currently one regular tattoo <br />shop and one salon that offers microblading services, and there have been no issues with either <br />business. <br /> <br />Mang Thao is the owner of Salon Suites by Paris, where she and other staff offer microblading. <br />She has asked if the city would consider amending the City Code to allow other businesses to <br />also offer regular tattoo services. She has informed me that many of her customers request a <br />small, regular tattoo at her business, but she is unable to do that type of tattooing. She struggles <br />to hire staff because they have their state tattoo licenses but can only do make-up-type tattooing <br />in Little Canada. She has requested that the City Code be amended to allow more than one <br />business in the city to offer regular tattoo services. <br /> <br />Staff Recommendations: <br />Staff recommends that the Council discuss potential changes to City Code Chapter 822 to allow <br />for additional tattoo service businesses to be brought forward at a future Council meeting. <br /> <br />Attachments: <br />• City Code Chapter 822, Tattoo-Body Art