Mill Valley Chamber Backs City's New Outdoor Dining Measure

MILL VALLEY, CA – On the surface, the Mill Valley City Council’s recent decision to put an end date on outdoor dining may have been viewed as a setback to many local businesses.

The city’s leading advocacy group for local businesses doesn’t see it that way.

The council on Aug. 2 voted unanimously to rescind an emergency order allowing for outdoor dining that went into effect in June of last year amid the pandemic.

It also extended the order from Nov. 30 of this year to June 30, 2022, and includes an option grant further extensions depending on circumstances on the ground.

And that’s just fine with the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“Business owners need runway and clarity to plan for the months ahead, particularly at a precarious time like this one given the delta variant surge. If conditions take a turn for the worse, having the ability to continue leveraging outdoor spaces for a variety of uses, including outdoor dining, is critically important,” MVCC Executive Director Jim Welte wrote in a statement to Patch.

“We look forward to continuing our ongoing partnership with the City to navigate what awaits us during the hopefully waning months of this COVID-19 crisis."