SANTA MONICA—Interim City Manager and Director of Emergency Services Lane Dilg has issued a new twenty-fourth supplement that enables enforcement against prohibited large gatherings and will be extending Santa Monica’s local emergency declaration until Wednesday, September 30.
The twenty-fourth supplement will hold the building and land owners accountable for large public gatherings (20 or more) at a residence or another private party regardless of whether or not the person is present at the specified event. Violations will be punishable as a misdemeanor or given an administrative citation. In addition, the supplement will also permit the city to shut off utilities at locations where the gatherings are held.
The supplement outlines:
- Public gatherings include parties of 20 or more who are not part of a single household or living unit unless permitted by Los Angeles Department of Public Health Safer at Home Order.
- Responsible owners include tenants, landlords, manager of properties.
- Administrative penalties are $500 for a first violation, $750 for second, and $1,000 for the third within a one-year time period.
- After issuance of citation to the responsible party, the city will be allowed to shut off utilities (water service) to the specific residence.
“We have growing concerns about the ‘party house’ events being advertised in the region, and although we are not yet aware of any scheduled for Santa Monica, this emergency order sends a strong message to COVID-defiant event opportunists: don’t even think about coming here,” states Mayor Kevin McKeown to the Canyon News.
The main objective for the extension in the local emergency order is to limit the spread of the ongoing coronavirus as the private parties have increased regionally. According to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, there were 1,198 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, August 24.
