Midnight closing times and homeless issues are on Huntington Beach’s agenda
City staff on Monday will present the Huntington Beach City Council with any suggested changes to a resolution that requires some downtown businesses to close at midnight.
The council will also discuss forming a committee to deal with homelessness issues, and the Finance Commission will present findings from its review of the Downtown Business Improvement District.
The council will hear any suggestions from staff regarding amending a 2013 resolution that requires downtown businesses that serve alcohol and have live entertainment to start closing at midnight when they seek to amend or apply for a new conditional use permit.
The council authorized the move in early March.
The ordinance was passed as part of the city’s continuing effort to control often-rowdy crowds leaving the area’s bars in the morning. But Councilmen Erik Peterson and Mike Posey, who proposed changing the resolution, said it may hurt businesses.
In particular, it may prevent existing businesses from making alterations or improvements to their properties because that would trigger midnight closing requirements.
Homelessness committee
Officials will consider an item submitted by Councilman Billy O’Connell requesting the formation of a council committee to “work with key stakeholders to formulate a homelessness work plan,” according to a statement O’Connell submitted to the council.
This plan would be based on the recommendations presented to the council by the Homeless Task Force in March 2016. The group was established about a year earlier.
In the statement, O’Connell said the council has not made enough progress in implementing the plans of the task force and it needs to take steps toward creating a “comprehensive plan” to cure local homelessness.
Finance Commission review of the BID
The Finance Commission will give a presentation during a study session on its findings following an audit of the Downtown BID, a public-private partnership that aims to revitalize downtown.
According to city documents, the commission found “no evidence of improper use of funds or hidden assets.”
The council voted to authorize the audit of the BID in late February after Peterson proposed the move, citing concerns that the board may not be handling its money properly and that an investigation was needed to make sure “everything was above board.”
Days after the council approved that move, a group of downtown business owners submitted a petition with about 100 signatures, with some names repeated, to the city requesting the removal of the nine current members of the BID.
That petition alleged that the BID has kept two sets of books since 2011 and that one of the accounts, totaling $271,000 as of September, was kept secret from the council.
The viability of the petition was called into question in early March after a few of the people whose names were on the petition said they were misled by the petitioners and didn’t support the document.
Throughout the unfolding events, BID President Steve Daniel has held that there is no secret account.
Daniel has said that he requested the financial review himself because he believes the group is being unfairly targeted by a specific group of residents, and he believed the commission’s findings would lend credence to his position.
Grant to combat violence against women
Also at the meeting, the council will consider approving the final term in a three-year grant cycle that funds the Police Department’s efforts to “combat, investigate, and prosecute domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking cases,” says a report submitted by City Manager Fred Wilson.
The grant is funded by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. This year’s grant is $272,183, including a $68,046 city matching grant, the report says.
The grant largely funds two victim advocates and two part-time domestic violence investigators, the report says.
The victim advocates work to “help heal families” influenced by violence against women and without the grant, the Police Department would not be able to have advocates on hand to aid those suffering from domestic abuse, the report says.
Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
