SF Ordinance Summary of Changes

September 10, 2004 DPH Public Hearing #2

This morning I was a little taken aback, when I opened the newspaper and saw an item about a second public forum that DPH was sponsoring this coming Monday, September 13 at 9:30am. Dr. Ojo, the DPH administrator implementing the new ordinance and I had talked about another meeting in late August but, unfortunately, his secretary did not have me, or any of the other people who had attended the previous public meetings, on her distribution list for the meeting announcement.

The formal notification, which they just forwarded to me, is included at the end of this email.

Dr. Ojo is supposed to send me a copy of the current rules and regulations regarding massage permitting so that I can post it on the website for you to read before the meeting. I haven't gotten them yet (noon, Friday), but I will bug him later this afternoon.

Please check the website, read the regulations, and come to the meeting on Monday. Besides reviewing the regulations before their final adoption, exemptions to the ordinance will be discussed and there will be an update on the background check requirements.

I have had some phone calls about problems with the DPH bureacracy being uninformed and unprepared for the onslaught of practitioner permit conversions after July 1st. You may know that the deadline for converting your old Police Department permit was extended one extra month, through the end of September. If you do not convert your permit before then, IT WILL BE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT AND EXPENSIVE later. So, get on the stick right away, and tell all of your colleagues to get moving as well.

After the meeting on Monday, I will try to light a fire under some of the media to get the word out more broadly and I will also send around another emailing to you folks.

One more thing, I am trying to put up a feedback form on the website today to collect your experiences and comments about the new process. Please either leave your comments there (where other people can see them) or send them in an email directly to me. I need concrete documentation of what is working and what isn't working for the meeting on Monday. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT! Whether you are coming to the meeting or not, I need your real-life experiences and opinions.

See you Monday!

In touch,
David Palmer

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EMAIL FROM DPH ANNOUNCING THE MONDAY MEETING
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You are hereby invited to attend a very important public hearing on
September 13, 2004. The public hearing is mandated by the new massage
ordinance prior to the adoption of the Director's "Rules and Regulation."

Date: Monday, September 13, 2004
Time: 9:30 am-11:30am
Location: San Francisco Department of Public Health
101 Grove Street, Room 300

The Forum will be used to discuss the following:

To review the new Director's Rules and Regulations.
To discuss any issues you may have about the rules and regulations prior
to adoption.
The consequences of not transferring your Police Department Permit to
the Health Department Permit before the deadline of October 1, 2004.
Exemptions from the Ordinance.
Failure to obtain a permit to operate or operating illegally.
Background check information.

If you have any questions, please call Dr. Johnson Ojo at 415-252-3858.

Thank you.

Lorraine Aspiras
Dist. 2 Secretary

SF Massage Ordinance Updates