AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: August 15, 2023
Item Number:
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Jeffrey Lambert, Interim Director of Community Development Ray Balderas, Principal Planner
Evelin Welch, Senior Management Analyst
Subject: REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL TO EXTEND THE TEMPORARY NOFEE OPEN AIR DINING PROGRAM FOR AN ADDITIONAL 3 MONTHS THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2023
Attachments: None
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council extend the Temporary No-Fee OpenBH Program (Open Air Dining) to December 31, 2023, and direct staff to return to City Council prior to this date with all the components necessary to implement a permanent Open Air Dining Program.
INTRODUCTION
The development of revised streamlined Open Air Dining regulations and parklet guidelines has been underway and has involved staff from several City departments, including Community Development, Public Works and others. The work has also been guided by two City Council Ad Hoc Subcommittees: Code Changes and Fees Subcommittee with Councilmembers Julian A. Gold, Mayor; and Lester Friedman, Vice Mayor; and the Design and Operation Subcommittee, with Councilmembers Lili Bosse and Sharona R. Nazarian.
Staff has made great progress to prepare the permanent revised outdoor dining regulations and parklet guidelines as well as the development of a fee structure that includes one-time and ongoing fees. Overall the permanent open air dining program has been designed to streamline the process to obtain City approvals and encourage open air dining uses.
Meeting Date: August 15, 2023
Further work is necessary to complete development of the parklet design guidelines to ensure business applicants who wish to take advantage of this new program clearly understand the rules, standards, fees and process associated with parklet installation.
This work is ongoing, but a brief 3-month extension will allow staff to complete this work, ensure robust communication with stakeholders and bring all the components of this program to the City Council in one meeting to be scheduled prior to December 31, 2023.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council extend the Temporary No-Fee OneBH Program for an additional 3 months to December 31, 2023 and direct staff to return prior to this date with all the components necessary to implement a permanent OpenBH Program. These components include an ordinance memorializing the code changes for the ongoing open air dining program, parklet design guidelines, and proposed new fees.
FISCAL IMPACT
The current OpenBH program is a combination of waived plan check and permit fees, waived inspection fees, loss of revenue from parking meters/valet operations, etc. A discussion regarding the fiscal impact for a long-term fee-based open air dining program will be brought back to the City Council in the coming months. There is no additional fiscal impact associated with this recommendation as the staff resources to complete the pending work already exist within the Community Development and Public Works Departments.
Jeffrey Lambert, FAICP
Interim Director of Community
Development
Approved By