Overview
- This week the City Council held two public hearings that drew large pro‑repeal turnout, with more than 30 people speaking in favor of overturning the 1988 ban.
- Committee votes advanced the ordinance package that would remove stigmatizing “high‑risk sexual conduct” language and shift sanitation and design rules into the adult entertainment code.
- The measures do not legalize bathhouses immediately but create a pathway for the city to address zoning, health inspections, licensing and offenses if the council approves next steps.
- Advocates and public‑health groups, including the Aliveness Project and Safer Sex Spaces Coalition, say regulated venues could offer on‑site rapid testing, condoms and PrEP education and reduce unsafe clandestine gatherings.
- The proposals passed split committee votes and now head to a full City Council vote on June 23, with Mayor Jacob Frey able to sign or veto and detailed rulemaking required before any business could open.