Newsletter

Risk Managers Roundtable: Outdoor Dining Risks

By Alex Mellor, Senior Risk Manager, and Ryan Thomas, Senior Training Specialist

On April 13, 2022, the California JPIA hosted a virtual Risk Managers’ Roundtable regarding outdoor dining risks. The roundtable addressed how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in outdoor business activities within public rights-of-way. While dining decks, parklets, streeteries, and other similar outdoor dining areas have contributed significantly to helping local businesses survive the pandemic, their proximity to moving vehicles has created safety concerns. Public agency staff members are faced with managing a problematic tension between supporting local businesses and public safety.

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During the roundtable, panelists Dr. Victor Manalo, former mayor of the City of Artesia, and Rob Reiter, co-founder of the Storefront Safety Council, discussed best practices, safeguards, and resources that help increase sidewalk and on-street dining safety for residents and visitors alike.

Based on the roundtable discussion, below are suggested  actions members should take to manage on-street dining risk:

• Installation of crash-rated barriers
• Requiring permits, insurance requirements, and indemnification in favor of the member
• Limit sidewalk or on-street dining to roadways with speed limits under 30 miles per hour
• Conduct a risk assessment and/or traffic engineering study to identify location-specific hazards and mitigation measures
• Conduct regular inspections of all outdoor dining locations, on foot and in vehicle

A recording of the roundtable is available here. Attendees also received an outdoor dining checklist, available in the resources section of the Authority’s website.

If you have questions about how to safely provide sidewalk or on-street dining in your community, please contact your assigned senior risk manager.

For information regarding future Risk Managers’ Roundtables, please contact Senior Training Specialist Ryan Thomas by email.

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