Paso Robles mayor asks governor to allow indoor dining and wine tasting, due to smoke and heat
Mayor Steve Martin
–Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin issued a plea on Friday to California Gov. Gavin Newsom seeking to allow indoor dining and wine tasting:
Honorable Governor Newsom,
We are in the midst of a crushing heatwave. There are also over 370 fires throughout the state, creating untold tons of smoke and ash. Together, these are putting the health of millions of Californians at risk. Finding ways to work through this pandemic has been challenging enough; the added challenges from the fires are making it untenable for many.
Restaurants and tasting rooms, which just a few short months ago employed almost two million Californians, are already reeling from the pandemic. Outdoor dining, the only reason many of our restaurants and tasting rooms are able to still hang on, is not healthy in the heat, smoke, and ash-filled haze. If they have no customers, many more California small businesses will fail, and many more Californians will be put out of work.
Please immediately allow indoor restaurant dining, on a temporary basis, under the same distancing restrictions as are now in place for outdoor dining. Restaurants tend to have good HVAC systems, with effective filters, and can provide a safer, more comfortable setting than many Californians now have available at home. By this one urgently needed action, you will be promoting individual health, helping businesses survive, and keeping Californians employed.
Sincerely,
Steve Martin
Mayor of Paso Robles
