COEUR d’ALENE — The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to amend the municipal code applying to massage facilities, in a move that city staff said will make it harder for businesses to provide unlicensed massage and reflexology services.

“There has been a lot of attention on illicit facilities in the state of Idaho,” Coeur d’Alene City Clerk Renata McLeod told the councilors. “There have been cities, including our own, where we’ve encountered this.”

In February, the city of Coeur d’Alene revoked the business licenses of five massage facilities due to allegations of illegal sexual activity. The City Council later voted 4-2 to uphold the revocation for a facility whose owner had appealed the decision.

Since 2013, the state of Idaho has regulated the licensure of individual massage therapists, while cities have regulated facilities. There are 31 licensed massage facilities in Coeur d’Alene, according to the city, but it’s not possible to track how many massage therapists work in the city or where they are employed.

Under the amended code, applications for facility licensure will include copies of therapist licenses.

“Knowing what licensed therapist is at which site will help with enforcement when inspection or law enforcement action occurs,” said a report prepared by city staff. “It has been important to have a local level license for facilities to ensure that inappropriate activities, such as prostitution and/or human trafficking, are not occurring, as there is no state-level enforcement in this area.”

The updated code includes a requirement that each facility “have a person conversant in English available and that all records be kept in English.”

“We have some of the illicit parlors that are operating with no one on staff who speaks English and we’ve had problems with interpretation services,” McLeod said.

A new section of code clearly defines “illicit acts.”

The code now includes additional requirements for a fire and building inspection at any new facility. Applications must include a labeled floor plan showing all rooms and residential arrangements must be noted.

“Some of those illicit massage parlors started adding in bedroom facilities,” McLeod said. “This gives us another opportunity to see how they’re planning those spaces.”

City staff said the code changes are meant to inhibit the operation of illicit facilities, which “threaten the business and reputation of legitimate businesses and practitioners” and pose a threat to public safety.

“We want to protect those businesses that are legitimate,” McLeod said.