Huntington Beach City Council to consider Outdoor Dining Program

By Matt SzaboStaff Writer

May 14, 2020 2:35 PM PT

The Huntington Beach City Council will discuss relief for local restaurants during the novel coronavirus pandemic during its meeting on Monday night.

An agenda item introduced by Councilmen Patrick Brenden and Mike Posey would create an Outdoor Dining Program for local restaurants. The program would allow for temporary conversion of a restaurant’s adjacent public and private spaces into outdoor dining areas, allowing restaurants greater dining capacity due to current COVID-19 social distancing requirements.

Orange County is still in early Stage 2 of reopening in regard to restaurants, with takeout and delivery service allowed. On Tuesday, the state released a document offering guidance for reopening in-room dining. The guidance states that it is in support of a safe, clean environment for workers and customers.

A more specific checklist for dine-in restaurants also was released.

Posey and Brenden’s proposal states that if accepted, it would boost restaurant sales “as well as boost a return to socialization.” When restaurants are allowed to return to dine-in service, it’s expected that it would be at less than full occupancy.

On May 5, the Fullerton City Council approved similar recommendations to increase outdoor dining space and relax regulations.

Huntington Beach Councilman Erik Peterson introduced an agenda item for Monday’s meeting to create a list of businesses essential for Huntington Beach and discuss policies needed to get the city open, as well as local enforcement of the state’s orders regarding reopening.

Also on the agenda, the council is scheduled to vote on accepting a $200,000 California Coastal Commission grant.

Construction contracts

The City Council also is scheduled to vote Monday on approving a pair of construction contracts.

Kana Pipeline Inc. has submitted the lowest bid of just more than $2.2 million for the Sunset Beach Water Main Project. The project consists of constructing about 2,350 linear feet of portable water pipelines in Sunset Beach, between Anderson Street and Warner Avenue. There is also a location in downtown Huntington Beach, in the alley between 12th Street and 13th Street.

Sancon Technologies, Inc. has submitted the lowest bid of $839,073 for the city’s 2019-20 sewer-lining project. The scope of work for the project involves lining more than 25,000 feet of sewer main lines that have been either lined with calcium deposits from groundwater seepage, or have joints offset by tree roots.

The deposits and roots, which inhibit flow, will be removed prior to lining.

Public comments return in-person

The City Council is bringing back public in-person attendance for Monday’s meeting at the council chambers, solely to provide comments. Social distancing measures will be in place, and once a participant has made a public comment, he or she will be asked to exit the chambers. The city will provide an area for viewing the council meeting on television.

Those who wish to make a public comment on an item will be allowed to speak for up to three minutes. With the return of in-person comments, the city announced it will no longer offer an option to submit a public comment through email to be read aloud. However, comments may still be submitted as supplemental communications to agenda items by emailing supplementalComm@surfcity-hb.org.

Information received by 2 p.m. Monday will be distributed to the council prior to the consideration of agenda-related items, and will be announced, but not read, during the supplemental communications portion of the meeting. Information received after 2 p.m. will be made part of the official public record after the meeting.

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Huntington Beach City Council to consider Outdoor Dining Program

Construction contracts

Public comments return in-person

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