BULLHEAD CITY, AZ., – May 8, 2020 – City Manager Toby Cotter announced today that all restaurants in Bullhead City will be allowed to reduce mandatory parking spots to establish additional outdoor seating to help serve more customers and provide additional physical distancing. Existing ADA parking stalls and access aisles must remain accessible and safe for use.
Effective immediately through the end of June, a Bullhead City business will have the flexibility to add additional outdoor seating even though it may affect established parking spots. Traffic and pedestrian interaction concerns must be prominent in any plan under this authority. However, under these limited circumstances, these plans do not require City pre-approval.
“We want to give as much flexibility as possible for all restaurant owners to make a successful come back,” Cotter said. “Parking restrictions have an impact on outdoor seating. The City understands that physical distancing requires less occupancy inside and groups being spread out. This flexibility allows additional outdoor seating moved outside into the parking areas with temporary shade.” This provision does not extend the square footage of liquor licensing. Any business who sets up additional outdoor seating should be aware of and strictly follow their liquor license permit requirements.
“While this may not work for every restaurant, the City is doing everything it possible can to ensure a successful recovery especially for small eateries who will be severely restricted with indoor seating,” Cotter said. “Business owners will have to figure out the challenge of where customers will park if they reduce parking, but let’s first worry about bringing customers back to area businesses. The alternative is empty parking lots and shuttered businesses.”
Restaurants in Bullhead City can begin opening their dining rooms for service beginning on Monday, May 11 as long as they have strict social distancing guidelines established. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey outlined key provisions for opening:
– Maintaining social distancing, including limiting groups to no more than 10 people
– Reduced occupancy and capacity
– Limited areas prone to congregating, such as waiting areas
– Implementing sanitation protocols
– Screening employees for COVID-19 symptoms prior to their shift
Governor Ducey released a more detailed list of opening guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Arizona Department of Health Services for restaurants, customers, and restaurant employees:
Those include:
· Encouraging customers to stay home if sick, including those considered to be most at risk (65 and older and those with underlying health conditions)
· Encouraging customers to maintain a 6-foot distance from one another; to avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth
· Wash hands before and after eating
· Assigning vulnerable restaurant employees to duties not involving customers
· Consider offering employees masks; develop policies about wearing masks or cloth coverings when interacting with the public
· Making sure restaurant workers are washing hands, covering their coughs and/or sneezes
· Increasing cleaning and sanitizing of food surfaces, prep areas, beverage areas and other high-touch surfaces
· Avoid sharing menus, condiments, or food
· Use touchless payment methods, if possible. If not, wipe down surfaces after every interaction.
The City of Bullhead City has developed a free online portal called FORWARDto assist all City businesses. FORWARD features more than 25 federal, state and local assistance programs and incentives to help businesses recover. Please contact Jackie Walker in the City Manager’s Office at 928-763-0122 or email jwalker@bullheadcity.com for assistance navigating the FORWARD portal. Please visit the business portal at www.bullheadcity.com/FORWARD.
