Dec 03/07 Los Gatos Town Council Meeting
We had 10 therapists and 6 clients that were able to make to the Los Gatos Town Council meeting, Monday December 12/07.
Thank you to everyone that attended or spoke on Monday! It was mostly therapists that spoke and their demeanor was professional and sincere.
The process is not over! We can still have an impact. Six months from now the police are required to return to council with an implementation report. We can speak to the success of the ordinance and the process required to comply at that time.
We can create partnerships that help us comply and refine the law to improve its value.
If you wish to see archived video of the meeting Follow these steps:
Francesca Demore spoke first and made the salient point that she had not been contacted to participate in the drafting of the new massage ordinance and was in fact just now learning of it.
Marylin Asplin and Robert Lowe spoke of their extensive experience and credentials . They exemplify the type of therapist and therapy to be found in Los Gatos and yet were not informed of the changes to the laws regulating our profession. They eloquently called for an opportunity to participate and desired to learn more about the requirements.
Tori Valencia remarked she had been considering locating her 14 year massage practice in Los Gatos but this new ordinance made it extremely unattractive. She felt that the wording was vague and suggested that a specific training might fit the gap in training the ordinance creates.
When I spoke I tried to fit as much as I could in the three minutes allotted, mostly recap of my experience with the process and the fear that legitimate practitioners will choose to go underground. I asked all the supporters of our position in attendance to please stand and we were the majority in attendance.
The next steps for the Silicon Valley Massage Therapy Advocates and the local Massage Therapy Community are these:
Kelly
Thank you to everyone that attended or spoke on Monday! It was mostly therapists that spoke and their demeanor was professional and sincere.
The process is not over! We can still have an impact. Six months from now the police are required to return to council with an implementation report. We can speak to the success of the ordinance and the process required to comply at that time.
We can create partnerships that help us comply and refine the law to improve its value.
If you wish to see archived video of the meeting Follow these steps:
- Go to http://www.losgatosca.gov and click the "Agenda and Minutes" link.
Select "Town Council Agenda & Minutes" menu item. It will take you to the archive. - Scroll to the December 3, 2007 meeting and click the "Video" link.
The viewer will pop-up, embedded in the agenda to the right of the viewer. - Click the agenda item entitled "Public Communications" and the video stream will jump to the portion of the meeting in question.
Francesca Demore spoke first and made the salient point that she had not been contacted to participate in the drafting of the new massage ordinance and was in fact just now learning of it.
Marylin Asplin and Robert Lowe spoke of their extensive experience and credentials . They exemplify the type of therapist and therapy to be found in Los Gatos and yet were not informed of the changes to the laws regulating our profession. They eloquently called for an opportunity to participate and desired to learn more about the requirements.
Tori Valencia remarked she had been considering locating her 14 year massage practice in Los Gatos but this new ordinance made it extremely unattractive. She felt that the wording was vague and suggested that a specific training might fit the gap in training the ordinance creates.
When I spoke I tried to fit as much as I could in the three minutes allotted, mostly recap of my experience with the process and the fear that legitimate practitioners will choose to go underground. I asked all the supporters of our position in attendance to please stand and we were the majority in attendance.
The next steps for the Silicon Valley Massage Therapy Advocates and the local Massage Therapy Community are these:
- Monitor the Town Council Agenda for the Implementation Report
- Watch the website
- Comment at the meetings
- Bring stories and evidence of your experience with the implementation of the new ordinance
- Create coalitions and partnerships to serve the Massage Therapy Community
- SVMTA is working on a partnership with West Valley Community College to provide training and tuition assistance for therapists requiring additional training.
- STAY INFORMED AND KEEP SPEAKING UP
Always good advice.
Kelly
