To Help Hermosa Beach's Musicians And Businesses, City Council Approves Temporary Limited Live Entertainment

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

April 30, 2021

Urgency Ordinance Received Widespread Community Support to Aid Community’s Economic Recovery from COVID-19 Pandemic

HERMOSA BEACH – To support Hermosa Beach businesses and musicians, the Hermosa Beach City Council on Tuesday adopted an Urgency Ordinance to temporarily allow limited live and recorded music at commercial establishments between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The ordinance creates a temporary pilot program to support businesses and musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. It received widespread community support in public comments provided before and during Tuesday night’s Council meeting.

“We appreciate the community support and agree that the temporary addition of outdoor live entertainment will help invite retail, dining and entertainment patrons who are as excited as we are to resume safe shopping and dining in Hermosa,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey.

The City’s noise control ordinance had previously restricted outdoor live entertainment. City Staff proposed the urgency ordinance after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health modified the Public Health Order on April 17 to allow for limited live music and entertainment outdoors. Musicians, who have been out of work during the pandemic, and businesses celebrated this news and reached out to the City about including outdoor music with expanded outdoor dining and other commercial uses in the City.

The Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau and HermosaOne have already created a directory of local musicians that they are sharing with businesses to help encourage hiring of local talent.

“We recognized that music is an important part of our City’s history that distinguishes Hermosa Beach from many of our neighbors, and we wanted to ensure those traditions could continue during the pandemic,” said City Manager Suja Lowenthal. “We ask our businesses to please help make this a successful program by minimizing disturbances and complying with the Public Health Order.”

Hermosa Beach’s urgency ordinance requires businesses and musicians to comply with the Public Health Order, which requires a visible demarcation to create at least 12 feet of distance between the seated customer groups and the stage or performer. The protocols also call for performers to use microphones for performances to the maximum extent feasible so that performers can limit voice projections, which cause more particles, aerosols and droplets to be released.

This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.