TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, Acting Community Development Director
Jaehee Yoon, Senior Planner
SUBJECT:Title
Selection of Long-Term Outdoor Dining Ad Hoc Task Force Members (Acting Community Development Director Mirzakhanian).
(Estimated Time: 1 Hr 15 Mins.)
APPOINT MEMBERS TO THE OUTDOOR DINING TASK FORCE
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council appoint eight members to the Outdoor Dining Task Force.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
On July 5, 2022, the City Council directed staff to form a 15-member ad hoc task force to develop a long-term plan for outdoor dining and business use on public and private property. Upon determining the makeup of the task force, the City Council assigned seven of the 15 seats to pre-determined entities including:
• Parking and Public Improvements Commissioner - 1 seat + an alternate
• Planning Commissioner - 1 seat + an alternate
• Downtown Business and Professional Association (DBPA) - 1 seat
• North Manhattan Beach Business Improvement District (BID) - 1 seat
• Manhattan Village Shopping Center (MVSC) - 1 seat
• Chamber of Commerce - 2 seats
The remaining eight seats, for which the general public would be eligible, were distributed as follows:
• Non-Manhattan Village Shopping Center Business - 1 seat
• Downtown Resident - 1 seat
• North Manhattan Beach Resident - 1 seat
• At-Large Resident - 2 seats
• At-Large Resident/Business - 3 seats
On July 28, 2022, the Parking and Public Improvements Commission discussed their appointments at a public meeting, and voted to appoint Commissioner Bob DeGiau as the primary member, with Commissioner Stephen D’Amico as the alternate.
On August 10, 2022, the Planning Commission discussed their appointments at a public meeting. While Chair Joseph Ungoco and Commissioner Gerry Morton both voiced interest in serving as the primary member, the Commission voted to appoint Chair Ungoco, as Commissioner Morton’s term on the Planning Commission is set to expire in May 2023. While Commissioner Morton could serve as the alternate member through the expiration of his term, Commissioner Kristin Sistos would serve as the alternate beyond that. Additionally, the Commission included as part of their motion, to request from City Council that Commissioner Morton serve on the task force as an at-large member of the public after his term ends as a Planning Commissioner to promote continuity. As such, the City Council may consider appointing Commissioner Morton under the At-Large Resident or Resident/Business categories for the task force.
Staff then reached out to DBPA, North Manhattan Beach BID, MVSC, and Chamber of Commerce, and asked them to appoint their respective representatives internally and report back with their names. Those appointments are as follows:
• DBPA - Jill Lamkin
• North Manhattan Beach BID - Mike Simms
• MVSC - Don Ziss
• Chamber of Commerce - David Archer and Maureen McBride
DISCUSSION:
Staff released the task force application on February 1, 2023, to fill the remaining eight seats, and received 118 applications (see attachment) when the application period closed on February 24, 2023.
Due to the large volume of applications received, the City Council was provided with a copy of all 118 applications for review on March 9, 2023, prior to the release of the April 4, 2023 agenda report. It should be noted that six applicants have been disqualified as they did not qualify for any of the available seats (i.e. did not reside nor own/operate a business within the City).
At the April 4, 2023, meeting, City Council will nominate and appoint members to the remaining eight open seats in the same manner in which Commission appointments are made. Once the appointments for the eight open seats are complete, the City Council will nominate and appoint eight alternates who will be called to serve only in the event that the official appointees are unable to complete their service on the task force.
Once appointed, the Outdoor Dining Task Force will determine a meeting schedule (monthly at a minimum). The meetings will be open to the public. The first order of business for this task force will be to define goals and collectively analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to outdoor dining; this is referred to as a ”SWOT” analysis.
Additionally, and in order to expedite the program development, the City released a Request for Proposal on March 9, 2023, to retain the services of a planning consultant with expertise in the areas of engineering/design, parking, public engagement, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to assist in the effort. Upon evaluating the proposals, staff anticipates bringing forth a Professional Services Agreement for the City Council’s consideration at a future meeting.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Staff conducted extensive outreach regarding the task force vacancies, including the City’s Outdoor Dining webpage launched on February 1, 2023, and announcements on the City’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. In addition, an email was sent out to all interested parties notifying them of the task force application and an advertisement was placed in the February 9, 2023 edition of the Beach Reporter.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the appointment of task force members is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Outdoor Dining Task Force Application Form
2. Outdoor Dining Task Force Applicant List
3. PPIC Meeting Minutes - July 28, 2022 (Web-Link Provided)
4. PC Meeting Minutes - August 10, 2022
5. Powerpoint Presentation