Washington City Manager Bobby Roberson wants the City Council to ask the Planning Board to research and develop standards for massage parlors within the city limits.

The council is expected to take up that issue during its meeting Monday.

Massage parlors are not allowed in the city under the city’s current zoning regulations, but they are included in the city code.

“As you will recall, the General Assembly removed the provisions for business privilege licenses and our process requires an applicant to apply for and receive a business privilege license before they can operate their enterprise,” Roberson wrote in a memorandum to the mayor and council members. “The provision for massage parlors has become obsolete … and therefore, staff is recommending a revision to our code. Our proposal is to forward a request to the Planning Board and ask that they research the issue and forward a recommendation to City Council for consideration.”

The existing ordinance reads: “No person shall act as a massagist unless such person has first applied for and received the privilege license provided by this section.”

In other business, the council is scheduled to consider a request to change Brown Library’s hours of operation to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Currently, the library is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

“Statistics show that the (current) operating hours are not meeting the needs of the community,” Sandra Silvey, library director, wrote in a memorandum to the mayor and council members. “Customers are rushed on Saturdays to get in the library before we open and check-outs decrease 61% the last operating hours. Customers are rushed on Saturdays at closing at 3pm, extending closing time until 6pm would alleviate this. On Sundays, our check0outs decrease 54%, Internet usage decreased 45%, revenue receipts decrease 58%.”

The city has received a $50,000 grant for downtown redevelopment. City staff wants the council to provide suggestions regarding eligible projects in the central business district. Accepting the grant and adopting a budget to implement proposed projects is expected to be on the council’s agenda for its Sept. 11 meeting.

The city received a similar grant last year.

The council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers in the Municipal Building, 102 E. Second St. To view the council’s agenda for a specific meeting, visit the city’s web­site at www.washingtonnc.gov, click “City Agendas.” Locate the appropriate agenda (by date) under the “Washington City Council” heading, then click on that specific agenda listing.