The Danville Town Council is set to vote Tuesday on allowing a popular feature that emerged during pandemic lockdowns and restrictions to continue as an option for restaurants as restrictions ease and some officials call for a shift from thinking of COVID-19 as endemic, rather than a pandemic.

On the table at their upcoming meeting this Tuesday (May 3) is an ordinance that would continue through Jan. 3 expanded outdoor dining and alcohol consumption allowances set to expire in the coming months, on the heels of a previous discussion about how to proceed given the upcoming expiration of current emergency permit options.

The vote comes on the heels of a previous discussion on what to do about outdoor dining in Danville given the pending expiration of temporary land-use permits (TLUPs) by the council members at their April 5 meeting, in which they directed staff to prepare the ordinance on Tuesday's agenda.

The town began issuing TLUPs during the early days of COVID-19 in June 2020, which allowed restaurants to create or expand outdoor dining to the extent that would allow them to operate at 100% of their pre-pandemic capacities. As a result, downtown Danville, along with other localities, was rife with parklets and sidewalk seating into public streets.

The use of TLUPs was extended twice by the council, with the most recent extension in effect through June 30. The ordinance on Tuesday's agenda would allow for the extension of TLUPs, as well as an existing town ordinance regarding alcohol consumption on public streets and sidewalks.

In addition to continuing existing outdoor dining options, the current ordinance is aimed at addressing concerns raised and discussed by council members at their April 5 meeting. These measures include allowing only non-amplified outdoor music and entertainment, requirements for garbage receptacles to be enclosed and not in public spaces, maintenance of these enclosure areas, and the removal of debris and litter by the business operator.

Other requirements under the proposed ordinance include that outdoor seating structures "be maintained in a clean, like-new condition" and the repair and ongoing cleaning of related materials such as canopies, and that parklets on Church Street be modified to accommodate two-way traffic.

The Danville Town Council's next regular meeting is set for 5 p.m. on Tuesday (May 3) via Zoom. The agenda is available here.

In other business

* Mayor Newell Arnerich will issue a declaration proclaiming May as Mental Health Awareness month.

* The council will hear reports from the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission, and SRVUSD liaisons, as well as Robert Storer, Danville vice mayor and County Connection board member.