The Bemidji City Council will continue the public hearings on the outdoor dining amendments during their regular meeting Monday.
The four amendments to various city ordinances would allow downtown restaurants to continue using public spaces in the warmer months.
This was a solution to indoor dining restrictions during the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, allowing restaurants to use sidewalks and parking spaces for dining spaces.
When the governor’s emergency powers ended last summer, alcohol was no longer allowed to be served in these spaces.
Some issues raised during the public hearings two weeks ago included parking and the orange barricades.
City staff was directed to present some changes concerning the types of barricades that would be allowed and an amended liquor license fee for restaurants that opt-in for outdoor dining.
