Agenda Text
title
In support of tattoo equity.
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Official Text
WHEREAS: The regulated art of both giving and receiving a tattoo is protected under the First Amendment, as a result of Lanphear v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and
WHEREAS: Local Boards of Health are responsible for creating reasonable fees for body art licenses and permits; and
WHEREAS: This Council believes that centering equity in regards to license and permit fees provides relief and consistency for local businesses; and
WHEREAS: The fee associated with the body art establishment permit in Somerville is twice that of those in Cambridge and Boston; and
WHEREAS: The fee associated with the body art practitioner’s license in Somerville is four times great as those in Boston and eight times as great as those in Cambridge; and
WHEREAS: Other municipalities such as Boston and Cambridge have temporary practitioner’s licenses for visiting artists that ease financial stress on body art establishments by allowing them to pay for a reduced cost license as opposed to a year-long license; and
WHEREAS:: Somerville does not have a temporary practitioner’s license for visiting artists and thus requires body art establishments to apply for a year-long license for artists who may perform in Somerville for a single day; and
WHEREAS: This Council believes that the prohibitive nature of Somerville’s body art license and permit fees cause unnecessary financial stress on a vital cultural sector of our local business community; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED: That the Somerville City Council asks the Board of Health to provide our community with tattoo equity by reducing the costs of body art permits and licenses to a level commensurate with our neighboring municipalities and to create a reduced cost temporary license for visiting artists in order to reduce the financial burden on our struggling local businesses.