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r -3- ORDINANCE 1981-003 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO LICENSING AND REGULATION OF MASSAGE PARLORS-, PHYSICAL CULTURE AND HEALTH SERVICES AND CLUBS, MASSEURS AND .MASSEUSES.: AMENDING CHAPTER IV OF THE 1973 CODE OF ST. ANTHONY ORDINANCES BY ADDING A SECTION 450 :00 Before a vote was taken, testimony from Ron Seliski, 3300 Townview, prompted with withdrawal of the motion by the maker and the second. Mr. Seliski, who has served on the. Minneapolis Vice Squad, told the Council Minneapolis has recently discontinued licensing saunas and other similar operations recognizing most of them are merely fronts for prostitution and "it is embarrassing for the city to have a license in the hands of a prostitute when arrested" . He confirmed what Mr. Soth had previously reported, that such operations are now being zoned into areas where greater control can be exercised over them and there are similar businesses in operation. He wondered whether St. Anthony couldn't "zone such operations right out of the city by not permitting them to operate within so many hundred or thousand feet of a residential area" . Mr. Soth pointed out that it might be ruled arbitrary for a city to zone such an operation completely out of its boundaries and the "only reason Minneapolis can zone such operations into a few districts is its size" . He added there are only two districts in St. Anthony where this type of operation could be permitted along with other commercial businesses under the City Zoning Ordinance. The City • Attorney also believed there is .nothing to prevent St. Anthony from having an ordinance which would prohibit this type of activity altogether, but the ordinance would, in all probability, face a challenge in court. The Minneapolis policeman then suggested just having an ordinance which forbids this type of activity altogether might preclude the small operations who typically rent these stores from undertaking the expenses of challenging the law. Mayor Haik said several residents were opposed to having an ordinance before an application is received but the. City Attorney had advised it might be considered arbitrary for the City to develop an ordinance in response to an application. When she questioned how North Oaks is able to zone all commercial out of their city completely, she was told as long as St. Anthony permits any types of commercial, such as health clubs, prohibiting saunas might be considered discriminatory. Councilman Marks explained to about six persons who were present, this ordinance had been developed because of the concern that undesir- able businesses might be encouraged to locate in the empty stores on the west side of the St. Anthony Shopping Center, but he believes "if we get that area squared away, the City probably won't be faced with this decision" . Mr. Soth said he hadn't researched whether smaller metropolitan communities felt the need for such an ordinance and agreed to research this question before the ordinance is brought up again for considera- tion. Motion by Councilman Marks and seconded by Councilman Ranallo to table action on Ordinance 1981-003 until the City Attorney and Manager can develop an ordinance which may be more appropriate for St. Anthony.