H.B. taps residents, others for task force

The 15 members of the Huntington Beach Downtown Task Force were named Monday, a city spokeswoman said.

The task force includes three City Council members, five downtown residents, four representatives of bars and restaurants, a retail business owner and one member each from Marketing and Visitor’s Bureau, Business Improvement District and Chamber of Commerce, according to a statement by spokeswoman Laurie Frymire.

The group is set to meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. The first meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Main Street Library. The public is encouraged to attend.

Mayor Connie Boardman and councilmen Joe Carchio and Jim Katapodis volunteered to be council liaisons, while members from Sharkeez, Fred’s Mexican Cafe and the Black Bull Chop House were chosen to represent the downtown bars and restaurants. A member from Kilarney’s Pub was chosen as an alternate.

Other members include Hilton Waterfront general manager J.D. Shafer and Duke’s manager Brett Barnes, who represent the Marketing and Visitor’s Bureau and Business Improvement District, respectively.

Council members originally voted July 15 to create the task force to address the downtown alcohol problems, but the group will also focus on safety in the wake of rioting following the U.S. Open of Surfing last month.

[For the record,10:39 a.m. Aug.27: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated there were 16 members of the task force. There are 15 members and an alternate.]

—Anthony Clark Carpio

Twitter: @acocarpio