City Manager Issues Order Requiring Face Coverings in Public and Street Closings

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A person with a mask crosses an empty street in West Hollywood during the COVID 19 crisis (Photo by Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

West Hollywood City Manager Paul Arevalo has issued an emergency executive order that requires that anyone in West Hollywood wear a face covering when out in public and that closes several residential streets to traffic.

The order is the third issued by the city manager thus far in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It also addresses city taxes and fees, construction noise, and rules for neighborhood meetings.

The full text of the new emergency executive order is available on the city’s website https://www.weho.org/home/showdocument?id=46373 in PDF format.

Highlights of the order include:

Beginning Saturday, all persons, including workers in businesses allowed to be opened and deemed essential, must wear face coverings. Those face coverings can include scarves (dense fabric without holes), bandanas, neck gaiters, or similar coverings of any other material that reduces transmission of germs anytime they are out in public. N95 or medical-grade masks should be reserved for healthcare workers and first responders.

Face coverings are not required for young children under age two, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is otherwise unable to remove the face covering without assistance. Children between two- and eight-years-old should only wear face coverings with adult supervision Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica have implemented the same requirements.

Street Closures

Beginning immediately certain streets will be temporarily closed to through traffic for a ‘Slow Streets’ program, creating space for residents to be outside while practicing safe social distancing.

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The streets are:

  • Sherwood Drive between Huntley Drive and West Knoll Drive (three blocks);
  • Hancock Avenue between Holloway Drive and West Knoll Drive (one block);
  • Gardner Street between Romaine Street and Willoughby Avenue (one block);
  • Lexington Avenue between Gardner Street and Vista Street (one block); and,
  • Cynthia Street between Wetherly Drive and Hilldale Avenue (two blocks).

Residents will continue to have regular street access to their dwelling units and residents must adhere to physical distancing and the use of facial coverings, says the city’s announcement of the executive order.

The announcement says the list may be modified through future executive orders in response to feedback from the city’s Transportation Commission, City Council, city staff, and local residents. Notices shall be provided to the dwelling units on the closed street segments before the closure.

Construction Noise Prohibitions

Construction noise is prohibited between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless authorized through an extended-hours permit. This provision does not apply to the city’s construction projects deemed by the City Council on April 6, 2020 to be an essential function of the city.

Cooling Fans for Older Residents

The city will deliver fans to senior citizens who request them during high-heat days when its  cooling center at Plummer Park would have regularly been open to the public. That cooling center won’t be opened because of health concerns.

Waiver of Rent Stabilization Late Payment Fees

The annual rent stabilization fee ($144/dwelling unit charged to landlords for all units covered by the rent increase limit in the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, also known as the Annual General Adjustment or AGA) will remain due and payable on July 1. However, any corresponding late fee for late payments are waived if the fee is paid by October 15, 2020;  

Deferred Parking Credit Fee Payments

The annual parking credits payments that some businesses must make to the city, due in July (for the period of July 2020 to July 2021), are deferred this year and not due until September 2020. The twelve-month fee will be pro-rated and businesses will only pay for nine months of parking credits.

Deferred Payment of Hotel Room Tax

Upon written request to the city manager each month and throughout the period of declared local emergency, hotel owners and managers will be able to defer for 30 days payment of the monthly Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), the tax levied on hotel room rentals.

Free Temporary Use Permits

For businesses that have altered their operations in response to COVID-19 and require a temporary use permit for that reason will not have to pay the permit fee during the emergency period.

Neighborhood Meetings on Construction Projects

Neighborhood meetings required for certain development projects under the city’s municipal code or city requirements for project approval may be conducted as follows:

  • In lieu of in-person neighborhood meetings, the developer may provide a video presentation of the project and accept written comments and questions for a period of time following transmittal of the video presentation. Comments/questions may be responded to by email communication or posting on the city’s website. The link to the video will be provided in the notice of neighborhood meeting; and
  • In lieu of in-person neighborhood construction meetings that take place before construction begins, the developer may conduct those meetings virtually using services such as Zoom, which allow for virtual presentation of construction mitigation details and plan and allow for participant questions and comments.

Design District Assessments Deferred

Assessments for the businesses included as part of the West Hollywood Design Improvement District are deferred from Aug. 1  until Dec. 1 and any late fees and/or penalties are waived

The two prior emergency executive orders that have been issued by the City of West Hollywood are Executive Order No. 2020-1, which implements emergency measures to assist local businesses through the COVID-19 crisis, and Executive Order No. 2020-2 , which implements a series of emergency measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including the closure of all city parks and dog parks, which still remain closed at this time.

This latest resolution proclaiming a local emergency was made on March 16 and has just been announced today. The city’s emergency executive orders will remain in effect through June 30, 2020, but may change dependent on the evolution of the coronavirus health crisis.

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WearAMaskSaveALife
WearAMaskSaveALife
4 years ago

Did anyone see the rider to the order that says you can kick anyone found not wearing a mask as hard as you possibly can right in the crotch?? I think it’s there in the fine print. 😉

Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley
4 years ago

Stupid. If you close one street people drive down the next. So close Cynthia and push traffic down residential Dicks.

TomSmart
TomSmart
4 years ago

Perhaps the City Manager will ask their vendor Athens why their staff aren’t wearing masks….and whilst he’s at it, inquire as to why they are dumping yard waste and recycling in the same truck.

carleton cronin
4 years ago
Reply to  TomSmart

Once I wrote to the resident of Athens about the workers need for hearing protection and respiratory protection. His reply: Mind your own business. And, the recycling market is practically dead so the landfills now take it all.

carleton cronin
4 years ago

CORRECTION – re one truck for all bins – an explanation comes from WHWRA that it is a definite move by Athens in the time of virus to maintain service and comply with county rules.

TomSmart
TomSmart
4 years ago

What a pathetic response from the President. Thanks for the heads up. I won’t bother recycling any more.

Michael Grace
Michael Grace
4 years ago

Doesn’t the City Manager live in Pasadena? Amazing that some paid city employee is giving orders. Where’s the City Council on this? What about Horvath who just had her coronation? Of course, this pathetic lame duck group of political hacks did nothing about getting masks or quality masks. What can we expect when the totally incompetent Governer Nuisance of California paid a billion for them at $3.50 each with the Chinese manufacturer laughing behind his back. I watched the council meeting briefly and there was some obnoxious woman blabbing on about gender identity and then a spiel about white male… Read more »

Frustrated Citizen
Frustrated Citizen
4 years ago
Reply to  Michael Grace

you have lived here long enough to know we are a Contract City that is run by a City Manager. He runs the day-to-day goings-on of the City. The Council generally functions as a congressional style legislative body, proposing bills, holding votes, and passing laws to help govern the city.

Rick Scott
Rick Scott
4 years ago
Reply to  Michael Grace

YES! The world is under siege from this plague and some Weho residents are worried about “white male dominance” and gender identity! How ridiculous! This obnoxious caller ought to be more concerned about her own survival and the survival of her friends and neighbors. (Oh, and what if the inventor of the vaccine that eventually might save her life comes from the mind of a white male?)
I’m curious, who is the recipient of these masks that the gov bought?

WeHo-J
WeHo-J
4 years ago

Who enforces the face covering requirement and what are the penalties?

carleton cronin
4 years ago
Reply to  WeHo-J

Reasoning people self-enforce the demand and the penalty for not wearing a mask may be that you might transmit the virus to others.

Greg
Greg
4 years ago

RE: Hotel room tax. Are there any Weho Hotels open? Or when are they scheduled to reopen?

Daniel
Daniel
4 years ago
Reply to  Greg

Le Montrose. Cynthia & Hammond

Honey
Honey
4 years ago

can we also outlaw leaf-blowers?

WeHo-J
WeHo-J
4 years ago
Reply to  Honey

Gas blowers already are! Yes!

Woody McBreairty
Woody McBreairty
4 years ago
Reply to  WeHo-J

But never enforced

carleton cronin
4 years ago

Call enforcement every day. Have your pals do the same until something happens. Follow up complaints to the Council. Keep on their back. If you let up on pressure nothing will happen.

AnnoyedByLeafBlowers
AnnoyedByLeafBlowers
4 years ago

Exactly!

WeHoMikey
WeHoMikey
4 years ago
Reply to  Honey

Gas-powered blowers are already outlawed.

Vigilant
Vigilant
4 years ago
Reply to  Honey

Contact Manny Gallegos & Toby Leva @ 323.848.6433 or email by name
Helpful to give them the date, time and address of the offending leaf blowers and hope for the best. A veritable Sting Operation of Leaf Blowers.

David
David
4 years ago
Reply to  Honey

And helicopters pleeease!!!

LADoug
LADoug
4 years ago
Reply to  David

The best comment yet “helicopters”…they are flying lower and lower…

Blueeyedboy
Blueeyedboy
4 years ago
Reply to  Honey

Exactly what is the problem with leaf blowers? What is the alternative, and will that alternative do just as good a job?

carleton cronin
4 years ago
Reply to  Blueeyedboy

A couple of problems…first is that the ones driven by two-stroke gas fueled engines are noisy, produce smelly noxious smoke, second, they disturb great clouds of dust an dirt – along with any leaves – and redeposit the dust and dirt back on the ground and any other nearby surface. Electric blowers are not noisy, but just as inefficient, blowing dirt and dust everywhere. A great many municipalities have banned their use. The alternatives are brooms and rakes and, properly used, do a better job…although requiring more physical effort.

Vigilant
Vigilant
4 years ago

Second that advice from Carl. Rakes are kinder to the living landscape and do not leave the ground like unappealing, hardscrabble devoid of moisture. The landscape crews” may actually become more sympathetic to and connected with the trees, shrubs and flowers which need care not offensive gusts of wind and grit. The birds will also appreciate the care.

Peter Buckley
Peter Buckley
4 years ago
Reply to  Blueeyedboy

It’s called a broom.