Item 1 - Sharing Outdoor Space (SOS) InitiativeJuly 15, 2020, Item #1M EMQRAN DLJ M City of Poway DATE: TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Summary: July 15, 2020 Members of the City Council Steve Vaus, Mayor Sharing Outdoor Space (SOS) Initiative On Monday July 13, 2020, the State issued an order requiring all houses of worship, gyms, yoga, dance and other fitness organizations to cease all indoor activities until further notice in order to mitigate the further spread of COVID-19. Similar to how we recently assisted Poway restaurants by providing picnic tables, I propose we help houses of worship and fitness-oriented businesses (yoga, Pilates, dance class, gyms, etc.) by providing space for their activities in our parks. The State has not banned such activities from taking place outdoors. We have sufficient acreage in our parks to make space available, at no cost, to Poway-based houses of worship and fitness organizations while having minimal impact on other park users. This availability will be limited to Poway based houses of worship, and fitness organizations with a current Poway business certificate and commercial insurance. We will require that the City be named as an "additional insured" on the organization's policy. We will require that all COVID-19 safety guidelines be adhered to, including rules regarding face coverings and social distancing. I'm confident staff can establish a minimal application process and reservation guidelines that will be easy for the churches and business owners to navigate. Making public park areas available for these uses will require that Poway relax its current restrictions on commercial use of those areas. This will be a temporary relaxation of those restrictions for the duration of the restriction on indoor activities. Recommended Action: I ask for Councilmembers' concurrence to direct staff to proceed with crafting an application policy for the Sharing Outdoor Space (SOS) Initiative, to allow churches and fitness-oriented organizations to conduct worship services and classes in public park areas, at no cost and with minimal paperwork. Staff will work to balance all current uses to accommodate this new practice. Attachments: None. Reviewed/Approved By Wendy Kaserman Assistant City Manager 1 of 1 Reviewed By: Alan Fenstermacher City Attorney Approved By: City Manager