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L.A. Al Fresco Program / Permanent Sidewalk Dining Permits / Enrollment Barriers

Council File 20-1074-S6

Introduced
2024-06-28
Last changed
2026-05-11
Status
closed
Expires
2028-04-29
Mover
NITHYA RAMAN
Second
IMELDA PADILLA

Brief

Introduced by Nithya Raman in June 2024, this motion directs city departments to reduce enrollment obstacles and streamline the process for restaurants and cafes to obtain permanent sidewalk dining permits under the L.A. Al Fresco program. The motion passed through Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee in September 2024, returned to Council in October 2024 for initial adoption, then went to Public Works and Economic Development committees for further refinement in early 2026. Council adopted the amended version 12-0 on April 29, 2026, and the Mayor received it May 1, 2026.

Full summary

When Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced this motion in June 2024, citywide enrollment in the permanent L.A. Al Fresco sidewalk dining program sat below 10%, even as up to 80% of restaurants that participated in the temporary pandemic-era program credited it with keeping them open. With a July 31, 2024 enrollment deadline looming, Raman's motion directed the Bureau of Engineering, Department of Building and Safety, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Sanitation, and Economic and Workforce Development Department to report back within 60 days on how to fix the problem. The requested report was to cover possible extensions of the temporary authorization program, fee burdens and Proposition 218 concerns, the performance of the existing Small Business Fee Reduction Program, administrative inefficiencies across the multi-department permitting process, and engagement strategies to help restaurants make the transition at little or no cost. By mid-2025, the relevant departments submitted a joint report, which was referred to the Public Works and Economic Development and Jobs committees. Those committees spent early 2026 working through the recommendations and approving amended versions. The final package adopted by the full Council 12-0 on April 29, 2026 included several concrete directives: the Bureau of Engineering was instructed to maintain a dedicated Al Fresco service category on its Virtual Counter system and conduct bi-monthly email outreach to businesses still on temporary authorizations through a new deadline of July 1, 2026. The Department of Building and Safety was directed to continue improving its ePlanLA permitting module and promote the Restaurant and Small Business Express Program. On the funding side, the Council authorized the Controller to transfer $200,000 from the DBS Building Permit Enterprise Fund to cover permit fee subsidies for Al Fresco applicants in approved JEDI Zone neighborhoods, with $80,000 going to the Bureau of Engineering, $8,000 to the Department of Transportation, and $112,000 to the Bureau of Sanitation. The Economic and Workforce Development Department was authorized to use existing JEDI Program fee reduction funds to cover those costs for qualifying businesses. The Council also directed the Bureau of Engineering, working with multiple departments, to study consolidating the program's inspection, clearance, and compliance functions across fewer agencies and to explore creating a dedicated task force to streamline the process. The Los Angeles Fire Department was separately instructed to assess fire and safety requirements for existing outdoor dining structures built during the COVID-19 emergency without formal Al Fresco permits, and to identify feasible paths to compliance that would not place undue financial burden on restaurant owners. The Venice Neighborhood Council submitted community impact statements both in support and conditionally in support of the amended measures. The Mayor received the file May 1, 2026, and the action became final May 11, 2026.

Activity (21)

  • 2026-05-11 Council action final.
  • 2026-05-01 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is May 11, 2026.
  • 2026-04-29 Council adopted item as amended, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-04-24 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 29, 2026.
  • 2026-04-21 Economic Development and Jobs Committee approved as amended .
  • 2026-04-17 Economic Development and Jobs Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 21, 2026.
  • 2026-03-25 Public Works Committee approved as amended .
  • 2026-03-23 Community Impact Statement submitted by Venice Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-03-22 Community Impact Statement submitted by Venice Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-03-20 Public Works Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 25, 2026.
  • 2026-03-11 Public Works Committee continued item to a date to be determined.
  • 2026-03-10 Public Works Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on March 11, 2026.
  • 2025-08-01 Bureau of Engineering; Bureau of Sanitation; Department of Building and Safety; Department of Transportation; Economic and Workforce Development Department document(s) referred to Economic Development and Jobs Committee; Public Works Committee.
  • 2025-07-31 Document submitted by Bureau of Engineering; Bureau of Sanitation; Department of Building and Safety; Department of Transportation; Economic and Workforce Development Department , dated June 16, 2025.
  • 2024-11-13 Community Impact Statement submitted by Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-10-11 Council action final.
  • 2024-10-09 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2024-10-04 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on October 9, 2024.
  • 2024-09-17 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2024-09-13 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 17, 2024.
  • 2024-06-28 Motion referred to Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee.

Documents (24)

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