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CRIME - THE 2003 CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE

The following are official City documents, from the packet for the city council meeting of February 25, 2003. 

February 19, 2003

Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council

Regular Meeting of February 25, 2003

DOWNTOWN AREA ACTIVITIES – DISCUSSION ITEM

Recommendation:

That the City Council review the information provided by staff and the information provided by the downtown area businesses and provide any further direction to staff on any changes to policies.

Background:

The City Council, at its meeting of January 28, 2003, appointed a City Council subcommittee of Councilmembers J.R. Reviczky and Art Yoon to meet with downtown area business operators in order to begin working on a plan to address the concerns that had been expressed about increased fighting in the downtown area during the past few months. The business group coordinated with staff and a meeting was held on Monday, February 3, 2003 with most, if not all, restaurants, taverns and bars represented. The business group had a lively discussion on how they viewed the problem and what steps they could take to reduce the problems. A number of business owners/operators spoke and many had specific suggestions on what they could do to improve the downtown area. The business group, with assistance from the Chamber of Commerce, has written a report that is attached for your review.

Some of the specific proposals included adding lights on the fronts of each business that could be turned on when the business closes. A radio system between businesses was suggested so they could communicate problems or provide assistance to each other. The volume and type of music was discussed by the business operators and they all seemed to believe they could impact the behavior if the music was changes or mixed up to include a wider variety of music. A ban on drink specials was also suggested.

Staff that attended the business meeting included the Police Chief, Fire Chief and City Manager. The Police Chief stated his concerns about over-serving, over-crowding, making sure I.D.s are being checked and lowering the volume of the music. The Fire Chief mentioned the ongoing issue of over-crowding and that during the past weekend a number of the businesses were over their posted occupancy limits. It was noted that the City would be checking and would issue a citation if a business were found to be over the approved limit.

It was also noted that ABC was involved in following up on some complaints in the downtown area.

There were also a few other items that were discussed including banners, sidewalk signs, unauthorized items in the encroachment areas and other CUP compliance issues. Staff will, as a matter of course, follow-up on these issues. This follow-up will include checking occupancy during busy times, both on a complaint basis as well as an area wide check. In addition, we will review the CUPs and encroachment permits to ensure that everyone is up to date. Those who are not will be given an opportunity to correct the issue. If the violation is not corrected, then either a citation would be issued or referral to the Planning Commission for a CUP violation would follow. Encroachment issues would be referred to the City Council.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephen R. Burrell
City Manager