New Public Health Orders re Parks, Beaches, local authority to prohibit motorized access; Short-term Rentals

Marin Public Health Order, effective June 1. Per County: "lifts all previous restrictions on motorized access to parks and beaches in Marin. The new order supersedes the May 15 order and provides local jurisdictions the authority to limit or prohibit motorized access as appropriate. In addition, portions of park facilities with high-touch equipment or that encourage gathering – including playgrounds, gym equipment, climbing walls, benches, picnic areas, dog parks, pools, and barbeque areas – will remain closed."

Paragraphs 2 & 3: 

2.    When people need to leave their places of residence, they should remain as close to the same as practicable and at all times comply with Social Distancing Requirements as defined in the May 15 Order of the Health Officer of the County of Marin Directing All Individuals Living in the County to Continue Sheltering at Their Place of Residence (the “Shelter in Place Order”) or any subsequently issued order of the Health Officer.  All individuals living within the County are still required to shelter at their place of residence, and may leave only for the reasons allowed in the Shelter in Place Order.  All provisions of this Order should be interpreted to effectuate this intent. Violation of any of the provisions of this Order constitutes an imminent threat and menace to public health, constitutes a public nuisance, and is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.

3.    All agencies and jurisdictions operating public outdoor recreation areas, including but not limited to parks and open spaces (hereinafter, “Park Facilities”), within the County are hereby authorized to reopen all operations and services related to facilitating the public’s motorized access to all Park Facilities located within the County. This means that people will now be able to drive to and park at or near many of the Park Facilities within the County for the purpose of engaging in Essential Activities as defined in the Shelter in Place Order, including outdoor exercise.  However, local jurisdictions and authorities are authorized and encouraged to continue prohibiting as much motorized access to any Park Facility, even those otherwise entitled to reopen under this Order, as necessary to prevent crowds that cannot feasibly comply with the Social Distancing and other requirements of this and other Health Officer orders. All Park Facilities reopening to motorized access must be actively monitored and managed by the appropriate authority. Such management includes continuing to close by signage and/or physical barriers all portions of Park Facilities that remain off limits to the public.

Short-term rentals restrictions continue: "vacation rentals, short-term rentals, timeshares, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and other lodging facilities rented for 30 days or less. ... to cease all operations except to provide: Lodging for the county's homeless population; Lodging for county residents who have been displaced and cannot return to their residence because there is a person residing at their residence that must isolate or quarantine or is at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19; Lodging for county residents who need to isolate or quarantine; Lodging to support health care operations, essential infrastructure, essential businesses, and essential governmental functions as defined in the May 15 public health order (lodging for traveling nurses or government contractors, for example); Lodging for county residents facing immediate displacement from their primary residence due to safety, sanitation, or habitability issues (such as inhabitable living conditions, violence, or threats of violence); Minimum basic operations as defined in the May 15 order."

Links: https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org/parks-order-effective-june-1-2020

https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org/short-term-rental-restriction-order-may-29-2020

~posted by Lynn Axelrod, pointreyesdisastercouncil.org