Now that the pandemic is over, the Huntington Beach City Council Jan. 24 voted 4–3, with council members Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser, and Rhonda Bolton opposing, to reopen a portion of its Main Street, which was closed in 2020 to allow businesses to expand outdoors.
The issue was brought forward by Mayor Pro-Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, who did so after getting input from affected businesses.
She received the brunt of negative comments from the public for suggesting the change. However, fellow Councilman Casey McKeon backed her up and thanked her for taking on the task.
“This situation we have now is just unacceptable. We need a level playing field for all the businesses,” McKeon said. “There’s been some statement made that if we open it up, we don’t support businesses. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.”…