Latest news with #LaPalmaCityCouncil
Los Angeles Times
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Mailbag: Integrity missing in 2 O.C. city councils' actions
The members of the Huntington Beach City Council, in lockstep against the wishes of many constituents, are doing their darndest to hide the damage they are doing to our public libraries, beaches and parks. Privatizing portions of Central Park without public input and legal environmental review is outrageous. The hush-hush concealment of the Pacific Airshow settlement reeks of corruption. The worst is restricting access to books under a specter of government protection and attempting to sell off control of our public libraries. A simple sign posted in the library explicitly states children 'should not be unattended.' Given this simple warning, children should not access books without parental oversight. However Councilwoman Gracie Van Der Mark charges that the children's library has pornographic books. There are no pornographic books in the children's library. It is illegal for publishers to sell pornography to children and teens! Residents, go look for yourselves! For decades, our parks, beaches and libraries have been funded by taxpayers and are free for the use of our residents. Our freedom has been choked by backroom deals, greed and a stealthy campaign of false information. The council has ignored the requirement for a legal, up-to-date environmental review before pushing a for-profit light show on public property. The council members are fully aware that a permit for the show would never pass the review board. We have bald eagles, rare birds and butterflies nesting in the park. Huntington Beach City Council is in a crisis of integrity. Nora PedersenHuntington Beach In regards to the recent TimesOC article on the La Palma City Council's decision to deny our conditional use permit at Starlight Day Spa, while I appreciate that my comments at the hearing were quoted, the article fails to provide critical context. The city of La Palma never provided us with clear guidance on the CUP process or how massage services could be lawfully incorporated into a beauty salon. Instead of working with us, city staff approached the matter with suspicion, offering no clarification or collaborative intent. The CUP process was obscured by surprise inspections, retroactive fees and accusations, rather than open communication or good-faith support for a small business trying to operate legally. We incurred over $3,200 in nonrefundable CUP fees, only to be informed after the fact of additional charges totaling $1,368 for staff time — fees we had no reason to expect. Combined with planning, licensing and marketing investments, our losses exceeded $15,000 — a devastating hit for any new business. What was most disturbing, however, was the conduct of La Palma's code enforcement during their inspection. The approach —aggressive and unannounced — caused fear and panic among employees and customers, some of whom spoke little English and fled the premises, traumatized. The city's reference during the meeting to RubMaps — an inappropriate and misleading massage parlor website — as 'evidence' was reckless. RubMaps is not a platform on which businesses advertise; it is a user-generated 'fan' site, over which we have no control. The implication this page was legitimate evidence raises serious concerns. The cumulative effect of these tactics has been the public shaming and reputational destruction of our business. We acted in good faith, removed all massage references at the city's request and repeatedly offered to work under a probationary period. Instead, we were vilified. I urge the public to consider how easily a small business can be crushed — not by misconduct, but by the very systems meant to support it. We deserve better. The truth is far more complex than what was presented in your article, and our community deserves the whole story. Tom ScottOwner, Starlight Day SpaLa Palma
Los Angeles Times
06-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
La Palma City Council denies sketchy spa a permit for massages after inspection
An application for a massage permit by a local spa rubbed the La Palma City Council the wrong way. After a code enforcement inspection sent Starlight Day Spa employees and customers exiting out the back door 'with haste' last year, city officials sent the owner an Aug. 19 cease-and-desist letter alleging that he illegally operated a massage business. On Tuesday, City Council members pressed Tom Scott, Starlight Day Spa's owner, during a public hearing with evidence in hand that the spa ran suggestive massage ads on websites like Craigslist and RubMaps, whose tagline is 'where fantasy meets reality,' in violation of the Massage Therapy Act. Councilman Nitesh Patel asked Scott point-blank if he knew what RubMaps was. 'I believe that is website for massage parlors,' Scott said. 'What kind of massage parlors?' Vivek pressed the spa owner. 'I assume ones that are not focused on beauty and wellness,' Scott said. Both websites have been linked to sex work and trafficking. The location has caused La Palma trouble before. In 2018, city staff inspected a number of massage parlors and closed four of them down, including Diamond Spa, where Starlight Day Spa currently resides. In May, Starlight Day Spa received a business license to run a beauty salon at the location, but it wasn't allowed to offer massage services. On Aug. 15, Scott sought a conditional use permit and submitted a floor plan for a suite that included five massage rooms. After receiving the application, code enforcement visited the business. The inspection found lighted signage already advertising massage services at the front of the spa. Photographs taken inside showed a list of massages — from Swedish to deep tissue — offered at different time intervals and rates. City officials also documented a code violation when they discovered concealed cameras in the faux flower decorations at the reception desk, which massage parlors are otherwise prohibited from installing to alert the entrance of law enforcement. With the property emptied out due to employees and customers fleeing, La Palma police arrived on-site as back up until a manager showed up. Scott referred to the inspection as the 'incident' during the hearing and denied anything sexual in nature happened at the spa when Councilwoman Janet Keo Conklin bluntly asked if it did. 'We were conducting beauty services,' he said. 'The aesthetician that was there had just completed a waxing on a customer and the customer was leaving.' Scott claimed the spa worker knew little English and fled in fear. Still seeking permit approval, he apologized to the city and stated that all massage advertising had been pulled in accordance with the cease-and-desist letter. 'We want to move forward,' Scott added. 'We want to be successful, and we want to bring rejuvenation to the business and to the community we're doing our business in. We're operating in full compliance with all city regulations while continuing to provide quality wellness and beauty treatments.' He even offered to work closely with city officials while operating under a probationary period. But Patel admonished him for the massage ads that ran before the city granted a permit for such services. Scott, who owns wax spas in Anaheim and Santa Ana, claimed he had never applied for a conditional use permit before and jumped the gun in expecting a quick turnaround on the process. The argument did little to sway council members who denied Starlight Day Spa a happy ending and voted its permit request down.
