West Hollywood city employees will start moving back into their offices over the next two months, while council meetings will move to a hybrid, in-person style in July. (photo by Justin Sayers)

With coronavirus pandemic conditions improving in Los Angeles County, the city of West Hollywood laid out plans for returning to what some officials are calling the “new normal,” including loosening mask-wearing requirements and moving to hybrid in-person council meetings in July.

Those plans were detailed during the May 3 meeting, during which members of the West Hollywood City Council unanimously voted to update mask-wearing policies for those who have received their COVID-19 vaccinations.

The move effectively replaces previous city-imposed mask-wearing policies to align with a new Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Officer order and guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the use of face coverings, both of which were released late last month.

The city’s new policy, with certain exceptions, allows fully vaccinated people to be outdoors without a mask when alone, with members of their household and with a small group of people who are either fully vaccinated or are not fully vaccinated but not at high risk for severe illness or death from the coronavirus.

The policy still requires everyone to wear masks at crowded outdoor events, in crowded spaces where physical distancing is not possible and it is not known if everyone in the space is vaccinated, in indoor public settings unless it was otherwise permitted by the county health department, at worksites and businesses, and in any setting where the county health officer order requires masking.

“The city of West Hollywood is encouraged by new CDC guidelines regarding use of masks and we are doing everything we can to quickly align with L.A. County to ensure that regulations are simple to understand and follow for everyone,” West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath said in a statement. “Let’s all remember, when we’re in dense outdoor crowds such as concerts and when we’re in indoor public spaces such as drug stores and grocery stores, masks are still required whether you’re vaccinated or not. We’re finally at a stage of the pandemic where there’s a good supply of vaccine availability. Getting back to normal means we must all do our part to get vaccinated and to encourage people we know to get vaccinated. No matter which vaccine you choose, please get vaccinated.”

West Hollywood’s new policy was passed as part of the city’s consent calendar, but prior to the vote, Councilwoman Sepi Shyne asked city staff to clarify how the new policy is going to be enforced.

“It’s my understanding that aligning with the county means we’re not going to be enforcing any citations,” she said. “If that’s not the case, I do feel that it’s too confusing. … It really would be an opportunity for discrimination to happen. If that’s not part of it, we need to pull it from consent and take a vote.”

City Manager Paul Arevalo said “we’re going to curb the enforcement” unless people are in large crowds or inside an enclosed facility.

“It’s just too complicated,” he said. “Many issues can arise that you mentioned and just the pressures on staff.”

The move comes as the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health earlier this month moved into the Yellow Tier, which allows occupancy limits to increase for restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, fitness centers, yoga studios, museums, zoos and aquariums, while also allowing bars without meal service to reopen indoor operations with limited occupancy.

With things moving back to pre-pandemic conditions, members of the council also asked Arevalo about a plan to move city staff and council meetings back to in-person. Meetings have been held virtually and staff has been working remotely for more than a year since the pandemic began.

Councilman John Erickson said “it’s really important we get back into the chambers,” noting that all five of the council members are fully vaccinated and that they can socially distance themselves in the chambers.

“I think it’s time we move back in,” he said. “How we give access to the public will be important. I know other cities have been putting out blueprints for how they are reopening City Hall – I know you are working on that, Paul – but that will be critical as more and more people are going back to work. We should make sure that City Hall is open again but obviously, safely and responsibly, so that all of our city staff as well as all our residents can be protected and safe as they get back to this quote-unquote new normal.”

Councilman John D’Amico asked Arevalo to bring a written report to council regarding those plans at a future meeting, while also pushing for a hybrid version of council meetings.

“I think all of us have heard from many members of the community that it’s so much easier to just dial up the phone and watch you on TV and then speak when I need to speak instead of coming into the council chambers to do the same,” D’Amico said.

Arevalo said they do have a “repopulation” plan for city workers and City Hall, which includes rotating back the city’s management team into the building, starting on June 1. Remaining employees will start returning to the building in July, but in a “hybrid program,” he said.

“It’s going to be a two-phased approach,” Arevalo said. “One is just getting people back into the building on a part-time basis. Eventually, once the emergency orders are lifted, we’re still going to continue with a hybrid model that allows for some employees to maintain a flexible telecommuting schedule. It’s been productive and it’s also good for the environment.”

He also said they’re targeting July 19 as the first meeting back in the council chambers.

“That will be the council members, the city clerk and key staff. As of now, in terms of our rollout and going back to the new normal, that’s the process that we have in place,” Arevalo said.