The city is giving the massage business two weeks to find a lawyer or potentially close

GREEN BAY (NBC26) – The city of Green Bay is considering revoking Tulip Spa’s license. The decision was postponed at a meeting of the Common Council on Tuesday. The city has cracked down on massage businesses this year.

• Take a look inside Tulip Spa on West Mason Street
• Hear from the woman whose name is on the business license
• To give the operators of Tulip Spa time to find an attorney, the Green Bay City Council is postponing the business license revocation hearing until December 17th

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with additional details for the Internet.)

A Green Bay massage business has a few weeks to find an attorney or it may be shut down. I’m Pari Apostolakos in Green Bay after the city’s council postponed a decision to revoke her license.

The local council is postponing the decision for now and giving Tulip Spa a little more time.

“In this case, that’s obviously their business, so I think we wait two weeks to give them a chance to secure representation and feel like they’ve had a fair chance,” said Brian Johnson, Green Bay City Council, Tuesday evening meeting.

The decision comes after a new ordinance was passed in February requiring all massage businesses to obtain a license from the city and disclose any crimes or violations.

In a complaint, the city alleges that the woman who operates the Tulip Spa near 15th and West Mason is not the actual owner.

According to the city, a woman named Xi Filion currently owns and operates Tulip Spa. But another woman applied for a business license.

City documents show Filion was cited 10 times for operating a massage or body treatment business without a license. She spoke at Tuesday’s meeting.

“I never think I need a lawyer, maybe it’s better to explain it better,” Filion said. “That’s why I’m asking you tonight to give me more time.”

I stopped by Tulip Spa before the meeting and spoke with Wei Wen Zhu, the owner listed on the business license. I spoke to her using Google Translate.

“I’m not doing anything illegal,” Zhu said when I asked about the city’s claims against the company.

Wei told us that she runs the business and Xi Filion only helps her pay the bills because she doesn’t speak fluent English.

“I just pay money for them,” Zhu said. “She does everything for the taxes, for everything, for the lawn cutting. I just pay her money… She’s not a worker, I just pay money.”

Zhu said she will close if the city revokes her license, even though the business is her livelihood.

Last month, Green Bay denied two massage business licenses as the city tries to crack down on illegal activity.

The city records we were able to obtain do not link Tulip Spa or its owners to any criminal activity. The council will make the decision on Tulip Spa’s license at its council meeting on December 17th.