Rosemead : Review of Businesses OKd

Businesses offering skin-care, nail-care and acupressure services will undergo a more thorough review under an ordinance passed by the City Council Tuesday.

The ordinance, approved by a unanimous vote, was prompted by recent Sheriff’s Department investigations into some of these businesses as possible prostitution fronts, Planning Director Gary Chicots said.

The investigation has not concluded, but four of the eight establishments being investigated have closed, said Sgt. Gordon Carn of the Temple City sheriff’s station.

Only businesses that are considered to require special review, such as nightclubs or fortune-telling establishments, must obtain licenses in Rosemead. Other establishments need only pay a one-time $62.50 fee for an occupancy permit, said Chicots, who drew up the ordinance.

Prospective owners of acupressure, skin- and nail-care businesses must have no criminal record for the past five years. The license will cost $300 to cover the cost of investigating the proposed business, including fingerprinting and background checks on the owner, Chicots said.

The license must be renewed every year for $100.