Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Special Meeting of May 21, 2020
Title
CONSIDERATION OF MODIFICATION OF EMERGENCY
ORDER IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC PERTAINING
TO THE STRAND AND CITY OFF-STREET AND ON-STREET
PARKING FACILITIES
(Interim Emergency Management Coordinator Michael Edwards)
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council evaluate Strand and parking lot closures and provide direction.
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Executive Summary:
With Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors announcing a change in their position, now allowing the re-opening of beach bike paths and beach parking lots to allow additional levels of use connected with the partial beach re-opening as of May 13, 2020, with support of the Health Officer Order, Hermosa Beach staff seeks Council’s discussion and decisions on these two topics to allow proper planning and operational behaviors to support these actions.
Background:
On March 4, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statewide Proclamation of a State of Emergency.
On March 15, 2020, Mayor Mary Campbell declared a local emergency in Hermosa Beach. At a special meeting on March 16, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 20-7230, approving and ratifying the declaration of emergency and ordering the following:
1. Closure of bars and onsite dining-in restaurants.
2. Closure of gyms and fitness facilities.
3. Prohibition of formal and informal group activities, sports and games.
4. Closure of outdoor play structures and exercise equipment.
5. Placement of signs in specified public places notifying the public of closures and social distancing requirements.
On March 24, 2020, the Council waived restaurant outdoor encroachment permit fees from March 17 to April 30, 2020. Also, on March 24, 2020, the Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 20-1406U, establishing a temporary moratorium on residential and commercial evictions and foreclosures. On April 14, 2020, the Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 20-1407U making certain modifications to the temporary moratorium.
On April 22, 2020, the City Manager issued Executive Order 2020-01 which memorialized 11 issues that warranted action during this time of local emergency. The order was confirmed by the City Council at its regular meeting of April 28, 2020.
On April 27, 2020, the City Manager issued Executive Order 2020-02 which memorialized two issues that warranted action during this time of local emergency. The order was confirmed by the City Council at its regular meeting of May 12, 2020.
On May 14, 2020, the City Manager issued the following six emergency orders, as memorialized in Executive Order No. 2020-03:
1. Consistent with the provisions of the County Health Officer’s May 13, 2020 Revised Order, the beach will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. subject to the following:
a. Only the following limited activities are allowed:
i. Individual or household ocean activities such as surfing, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, and body surfing.
ii. Individual or household active recreation and exercise such as walking and running where the participants do not remain in a stationary location.
b. The following activities are prohibited:
i. Sunbathing, sitting, lying on the sand and other stationary activities (such as yoga, calisthenics, or meditation).
ii. Picnicking.
iii. Use of chairs, canopies or coolers.
iv. Biking.
v. Group or organized sports such as volleyball.
vi. Gatherings or events.
vii. Fishing.
c. Individuals/households must exit the beach immediately after they recreate.
d. All beachgoers must follow the following safety requirements:
i. Maintain more than 6 feet physical distance from others at all times (except between members of same household).
ii. Wear face coverings, when out of the water and around others (except for children under age 2 and children with breathing problems).
2. All City parks and the beach are closed daily from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
3. The Strand and Pier remain closed.
4. City parking facilities are subject to the following regulations, subject to further modification by the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services as may be required to maintain public safety and order and to enforce the City’s emergency orders:
a. All, or parts of, Lot A, Lot B, Lot C, and Lot D will be closed.
b. Temporary short-term parking spaces will be established in Lot A and Lot D.
c. Monthly permit parking spaces will be provided in Lot D.
d. Temporary parking spaces will be designated at various locations on City streets.
5. Consistent with the provisions of the County Health Officer’s May 13, 2020 Revised Order, all Lower Risk retail Businesses that sell goods and services to the public may only provide these goods and services to the public via curbside, doorside, or other outdoor or outside pickup, or via delivery. Members of the public are not permitted inside a retail Low-Risk Retail Business. Lower Risk Businesses may set up a table or shade structure in a manner to accommodate pickup, provided that patrons practice social distancing as provided in the May 13, 2020 Revised Order and provided that minimum 5-foot clearance is maintained along public walkways. Outdoor display of merchandise is prohibited.
6. In addition to enforcement remedies available to the City as provided in the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code, emergency executive orders issued by the City Manager/Director of Emergency Services and emergency resolutions adopted by the City Council shall be enforceable by way of:
a. Imposing an administrative citation pursuant to HBMC Chapter 1.10.
b. Prosecuting a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not to exceed one thousand ($1,000) dollars or by imprisonment for not to exceed six months, or both.
The Los Angeles County Health Officer issued a “Safer at Home” Order to slow the spread of COVID-19 so that the healthcare delivery system would not be overwhelmed by extremely ill people who need high levels of care in our hospitals. The Safer at Home Order is currently in effect through May 15, 2020 and applies to everyone in Los Angeles County, except the cities of Long Beach and Pasadena.
On March 27, 2020, the County Health Officer closed all beaches in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors has announced a change in their position, now allowing the re-opening of beach bike paths and beach parking lots to allow additional levels of use connected with the partial beach re-opening as of May 13, 2020, with support of the Health Officer Order.
The Governor has also issued a shelter-in-place order. All County residents must comply with the stricter of the Governor’s Orders, the County Health Officer’s Orders, and City orders and ordinances, violations of which are subject to fines, imprisonment, or both.
Analysis:
With the assistance of various forms of physical barriers, signage and personnel, in the persons of contracted private security, Community Service Officers and sworn Police Officers, there has been varying degrees of success in ensuring the closure of the Strand. Many of the physical barriers, placed to allow beach access but to restrict north-south travel, were moved by residents and beachgoers throughout the day, allowing others who followed to gain easier access. Many of the barriers were not able to be used in a more-resilient nature (filled with sand or water) due to the need to have Strand access for trash pick by Athens Services. The movement of the barriers has also required staff to spend time repositioning the barriers numerous times.
City staff requests affirmation from the Council to support the Beaches and Harbors actions in re-opening the Strand and beach parking lots in a manner to support the City or provide City staff with direction to maintain the closures currently in place.
Respectfully Submitted by: Michael Edwards, Interim Emergency Management Coordinator
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager