SOUTH PORTLAND – The City Council at its meeeting Monday night will discuss whether to place a six-month moratorium on tattoo parlors and body piercing studios, pending the creation of ordinances governing the establishments.

Presently, there are neither types of establishments in the city but some out-of-state tattoo practitioners had shown interest in leasing one of the buildings at 777 Broadway, said Planning Director Tex Haeuser, who proposed the moratorium.

In a memo to councilors, Haeuser expressed concern that the state did not require a criminal background check on tattoo artists. Second, "the location is at the gateway to Mill Creek, and it seemed possible that a tattoo parlor (with a big tattoo/body piercing sign) of the kind one associates with run-down areas could have a negative, blighting impact."

Third, there was a question of what kind of impact a tattoo parlor would have on the residences nearby.

Ear piercing would not be affected by the moratorium, Haeuser said.