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Though the community continues to weather the COVID-19 emergency, Crescent City will allow limited use of the Cultural Center and Dogtown.

The Council’s unanimous decision Monday gives Castle Rock Charter School a safe venue for its graduation ceremony. The decision grants a permit to the Crescent City Downtown Divas for the Downtown Crescent City Farmers and Artisans Market, which starts Wednesday. It also allows no more than 10 people in Dogtown, the community’s dog park at Beachfront Park should the Public Health Officer approve.

“I’ve never seen more than 10 people there at one time anyways,” said Mayor Pro Tem Heidi Kime.

On Monday, Kime and her colleagues authorized City Manager Eric Wier to grant permits on a case by case basis based on guidelines from the California Department of Public Health and approval from Del Norte County Public Health Officer Dr. Warren Rehwaldt. Staff recommended that the city manager also have the authority to cancel events if COVID-19 guidelines become more restrictive.

This decision comes about two and a half months after Councilors declared a state of emergency and suspended all special events. City offices and the Fred Endert Municipal Pool have also been closed to the public.

“There was a huge community outcry to allow pets to be outside,” said Holly Wendt, the city’s director of recreation and events. “The weather has been wonderful.”

In addition to opening the dog park, Castle Rock Charter School will celebrate the graduation of 15 of its eighth-graders and roughly 40 high schoolers, Wendt said. The school plans to use the Cultural Center’s atrium. Parents will drive up to the first entrance, their student will walk inside, receive their diploma, have their picture taken and leave by the facility’s second entrance, Wendt said.

The Downtown Divas’ farmers market is starting Wednesday. According to Wendt, the non-profit organization is following best practices through the California Alliance of Farmers Markets as well as with Rehwaldt.

“Farmers markets are considered essential services,” Wendt said. “They provide local fresh produce in a central location in the city is very important.”

Councilor Jason Greenough asked if the California Department of Public Health has issued guidelines regarding playgrounds and public parks.

Wendt said she sat through a League of California Cities recreation directors meeting where dog parks, playgrounds and other concerns were discussed.

“As of right now, it’s not open for playgrounds just because of sanitation and group gatherings,” Wendt said.

According to Wier, playgrounds are in Stage 3 of California’s Roadmap to Recovery.

In his report to the Crescent City Council on Monday, Rehwaldt noted that the Golden State is still in Stage 2 of its four-phase reopening plan. Del Norte County and several others have received variances to go through the plan quicker than other communities in the state.

“We applied to enter Stage 2 a little bit ahead of much of the rest of the state along with other counties that are similarly situated,” Rehwaldt said. “(We’re) small, rural, remote, not a lot of disease activity, but we had enough in place to cope with a disease outbreak if it happened.”

Rehwaldt noted that Stage 2 allowed for retailers to reopen statewide and for counties with variances, barbershops and hair salons will be able to serve clients soon.

Public Health officials have identified 47 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Del Norte County with 26 recoveries. As of 4:36 p.m. Tuesday, a total of 1,448 tests have been administered. The results for 206 tests are pending and 1,195 have returned negative.

In his presentation, Rehwaldt said there were no cases identified over the weekend. The one that was identified on Monday — bringing the total to 46 as of the City Council meeting — was related to an earlier cluster from two weeks ago.

“We expect more activity,” Rehwaldt said. “(Disease activity) slowed down for at least a couple days. We’re watchfully waiting and see where this goes and how fast it rises and that’s really what a lot of other counties around the state are doing.”

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