PRESS RELEASE
City of Woodland
300 First Street
June 3, 2020 - Temporary Outdoor Expansion Permit for Restaurants and Other Busiensses
On Tuesday, June 2, the Woodland City Council passed an Urgency Ordinance authorizing Temporary Use Permits that will allow restaurants and other businesses to use available public and private outdoor space for outdoor dining or retail display. This Ordinance follows the Governor’s and Yolo County’s Shelter In Place Order modifications issued in late May allowing non-essential retail in-store shopping and dine-in restaurants to resume operations.
The goal of the Temporary Outdoor Use Permit is to support and assist businesses in meeting the operational guidelines outlined by the State including significant reductions in indoor seating capacity to meet social distancing requirements. The Temporary Permit will allow local restaurants and some retailers the ability to expand their square footage by expanding seating and displays outdoors, either on public sidewalks or in private parking lots where parking spaces or walkways can be temporarily converted to create an outdoor patio space. American’s with Disability Act (ADA), pedestrian and emergency access must be maintained in all cases. Applicants must continue to meet federal, state and local laws that regulate, among other things alcoholic beverage consumption, noise, or amplified sound. Open alcohol containers and consumption is prohibited outside of approved and designated outdoor dining locations that have also received ABC approval.
“The Temporary Permit is a step in the right direction and we genuinely appreciate the efforts of the city to help local businesses to move forward and reopen. There are still many logistics to figure out with reopening and expanded dining to meet State and local requirements, but we appreciate the support of the city in helping us figure this out.” James Lombardi, Burger Saloon.
The Ordinance is effective immediately and information and permit application can be found on the City’s Economic Development COVID-19 Response webpage. Approved applications will be effective through the State and local termination of the COVID-19 emergency.
Launch of #GOWoodlandLocal
In May, the City launched the #GOWoodlandLocal campaign on Instagram, @GOWoodlandLocal. All Woodland businesses and businesses with strong links to Woodland are invited to participate in this free digital campaign. This campaign aims to address the immediate need for visibility of Woodland’s local business community during this difficult time through one centralized digital platform. 
“Our new City-led Instagram campaign, #GOWoodlandLocal celebrates all of our local businesses that serve as the foundation of what makes Woodland special. Although this account is still in its initial stages, we have already seen it grow – join us in using the hashtag #GOWoodlandLocal and tagging @GOWoodlandLocal in your posts about shopping local. Using this hashtag and tagging our account helps give visibility to both longtime businesses like Nakamura Furniture who have provided quality service to our community for decades, along with supporting new businesses like Luca Boutique who joined our Woodland Biz Community just days before the shelter-in-place order.” Stephanie Burgos, City of Woodland Business Engagement and Marketing Manager.
More information about this campaign can be found HERE.
Displayed on Woodland’s digital freeway sign on I-5
Next City Council Meeting
The next regularly scheduled council meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 pm and will continue to be done virtually. The public is encouraged to listen to the City Council meeting live on Woodland TV Channel 20 or by visiting www.cityofwoodland.org. If you wish to make a comment during general public comment or on a specific agenda item, there are two ways to do so. You may leave a voice mail message at (530) 661-5900. All voice mail messages received by 6:00 p.m. will be played during the City Council meeting and read into the record at the appropriate time. Any member of the public watching the live stream who wishes to make a comment on an item as it is being heard may submit an email to the City Clerk at CouncilMeetings@cityofwoodland.org prior to Public Comment on that item. Email comments submitted to be read into the record shall be no more than three (3) minutes when read aloud. Please include the agenda item in the subject line.
Coronavirus in Woodland and Yolo County
The City of Woodland continues to closely monitor the impacts of COVID-19 and provide information to assist residents and businesses to respond to the emergency as it evolves.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Woodland is 96 (as of 5 pm on June 2, 2020). Stay up to date by visiting the Yolo County Novel Coronavirus website.
Additional information can also be found at www.cityofwoodland.org. To receive email alerts from the City of Woodland visit www.cityofwoodland/notifyme.
City of Woodland Contact: Jen Robinson (530) 661-5800.