Loveland council votes 8-1 to enter executive session on massage-facility mandates

The Loveland City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday to recess into executive session for legal advice on how the city should respond to new state mandates affecting massage facility operators, owners and employees. The closed-door session covered Loveland’s future approach to regulating the industry under Senate Bill 25-146 and House Bill 26-1257, which city materials describe as unfunded mandates. Council Member Zeke Cortez cast the lone no vote.

The motion, listed as Item 7.1, cited attorney-client privilege and confidentiality provisions in state law and the city charter. It also authorized council to consider documents and materials related to the issue that are not subject to public inspection under the Colorado Open Records Act.

A staff memo from the City Attorney’s Office said the purpose of the session was to make sure council understood the legal and administrative implications of the state requirements, including regulations and background checks tied to massage facilities. The memo said council could receive advice on a range of regulatory options, from taking no action to adopting more robust licensing schemes, along with the legal risks and potential exposure tied to the new laws.

Mayor Patrick McFall said after council returned from executive session that no decisions were made behind closed doors. He said information from the discussion would come back to the council chamber for future public discussion.

The staff report said the expected follow-up is for council to provide policy direction to staff on a preferred regulatory approach. It also emphasized that no formal decisions may be made during executive session.