Will Manhattan Beach City Council Close Strand July 4th Weekend?

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Though it's not listed as a topic of discussion on the agenda, the Manhattan Beach City Council may talk about whether or not to close The Strand for the 4th of July weekend during tonight's City Council meeting. Just yesterday, Los Angeles County issued an order for all LA County beaches, piers, parking lots, beach bike baths and beach access points to be closed from 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 3 until 5 a.m. Monday, July 6. The Strand, however, does not fall under the county's order.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, council has been meeting at least two times a week to address the quickly changing landscape COVID-19 brings. Topics that fall under COVID-19 are listed on the agenda under "COVID-19." During that agenda item, council discusses the latest news and activities related to the virus, such as creating citywide campaigns for compliance with mask wearing and social distancing.

Earlier in the pandemic, the County issued an order that closed beaches and more from March 27 through May 15. During that time, the Manhattan Beach council voted to close The Strand and authorized its reopening on May 14, a day after the County removed the order to close beaches.

At the time, Mayor Richard Montgomery said, "Reopening The Strand for walking and running will allow residents to enjoy the beach view that we all cherish while exercising at a safe distance from others. I encourage everyone to be kind and respectful to the neighbors nearby by maintaining six feet distance and following the guidelines put into place by our health officials.”

Members of the public who wish to speak on an agenda item can do so by registering in advance by clicking on the following link: https://citymb.seamlessdocs.com/f/publiccomment.

City Council meeting can be viewed online via Zoom or the city's webcast. To join the Zoom eeting via the internet, the direct URL is https://comb.zoom.us/j/98365682559 and the Meeting ID is 983-6568-2559. To make a comment during the meeting, you use the “raise hand” emoji through Zoom at the time the mayor invites the public to provide comments.

You can also join the Zoom city council meeting via phone conference and you will only hear voices via this method. The phone number is (669) 900-6833 and the Meeting ID is 983-6568-2559. During the meeting you will need to enter *9 on the phone’s dial pad at the time the mayor invites the public to provide comments.

When the city council meeting is live, it can be seen via Webcast. The agenda for the June 30meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. is online.

This article originally appeared on the Manhattan Beach Patch