COVID-19 continues to impact the Big Bear Valley, with a significant increase in cases associated with the Delta variant this summer.

There have been a total of 306 new cases reported in the Big Bear Valley over the past month (August 1 - September 1). This increase has caused concern, and City officials continue to closely monitor conditions in the Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino County, and California. We are hopeful that the Delta surge may be subsiding somewhat, as the number of new cases appears to be decreasing in recent days. There were a total of 52 new cases reported in the Big Bear Valley over the past week (August 25- September 1).

Data collected in all of San Bernardino County indicates that 87.5% of all new cases are among people who have not yet been vaccinated. The City continues to recommend that EVERYONE get vaccinated, as it's the best protection for you, your family, and your community. As of September 1, 73% of residents in the City of Big Bear Lake have been vaccinated. In the unincorporated areas outside the City, only 42% of residents have been vaccinated.

Fortunately, the number of patients hospitalized, both here at Bear Valley Community Hospital and at hospitals throughout San Bernardino County, has remained manageable throughout the Delta surge. Unfortunately, there have been 5 additional deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the Big Bear Valley over the past month (August 1 - September 1). These additional deaths are a stark reminder of the pain and loss caused by COVID-19, and the need for EVERYONE to continue to be vigilant and take appropriate precautions for your personal circumstances.

The City of Big Bear Lake continues to work closely with San Bernardino County public health officials, and has arranged for a community COVID-19 testing event at City Hall this Friday, September 3 from 10 am - 2 pm. Appointments can be made at this website, and walk-ins are also welcome.

The City continues to recommend that EVERYONE in the Big Bear Valley get vaccinated, and continues to offer free weekly vaccination clinics every Thursday at City Hall.

The next clinic will be held on Thursday, September 2 from 10 am - 2 pm at City Hall, and both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be offered. Appointments can be made at this website, and walk-ins are also welcome!

The City and County just concluded a week-long vaccination event from August 23 - 27, and 130 new individuals received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Due to current fire threats throughout California, and as a precautionary measure, the US Forest Service has temporarily closed national forests in California, including San Bernardino National Forest. All forest roads, hiking trails, campgrounds, and other amenities in the National Forest surrounding the City are closed at least until September 17, when the need for closures will be re-evaluated. For more information, please visit this website.

Thankfully, there are no current fire threats in the Big Bear Valley. Although the San Bernardino National Forest is closed, the City and the lake remain open for our residents, second home owners, and visitors to enjoy. Enjoy a day boating on the lake, hang out on the lakeshore, walk or bike on the City's Rathbun Creek, Stanfield Marsh, and Knickerbocker trails, enjoy the City's parks (Boulder Bay Park, Veterans Park, Rotary Park, and the Stanfield Cutoff area), stroll The Village, and just enjoy being outdoors in our great natural environment!

After interviewing and thoughtfully considering five quality candidates, the City Council appointed Perri Melnick to serve as the new District 4 City Council member at a special meeting on July 26. Council Member Melnick replaces David Caretto, who resigned his seat in June due to health concerns, and will serve the remainder of the term that expires in November 2022.

Council Member Melnick has already hit the ground running, getting up to speed on City issues and participating in 3 Council meetings and other regional governing board meetings in August. Council Member Melnick is a practicing health care attorney and previously served on the Bear Valley Community Healthcare District Board of Directors. She resides in the Boulder Bay area with her family. Welcome Council Member Melnick!

After more than 10 hours of public testimony, hundreds of pages of email comments, and nearly 6 months of careful and thoughtful consideration of ALL stakeholder concerns, the City Council formally adopted a new vacation rental ordinance at its August 16 meeting. The new ordinance is effective September 15, and can be viewed on the City's vacation rental program website.

The new ordinance builds on the success of the vacation rental urgency ordinance that was adopted on January 11, and includes the following key elements:

City Council thoughtfully considered the pros and cons of a prescribed limit on the number of vacation rental licenses, and ultimately did not include a limit on the number of vacation rental licenses in the new ordinance. As of August 27, there are currently 2,601 housing units in the City that are licensed for vacation rental use when not occupied by the owner. In addition, there are approximately 2,200 housing units occupied by permanent residents in the City, and approximately 5,100 housing units occupied by part-time residents (not offered as a vacation rental). Overall, there are nearly 10,000 housing units in the City of Big Bear Lake.

City staff continue to work hard to ensure proper vacation rental management by owners and managers, and respectful behavior by our vacation rental guests. Additional program enhancements are currently under development, and will be announced in the coming weeks. For comprehensive information about the City's vacation rental program, please visit our vacation rental program website , where you'll find the new ordinance, a listing of all licensed vacation rentals, the new "Good Neighbor" policy, FAQs, application forms, and more. Beginning September 3, all compliance reports and a detailed listing of all complaints and citations will be posted on the webpage.

For more information, or questions about the vacation rental program, please contact the Tourism Management Department at 909-866-5831 or this email address.

At its August 16 meeting, the City Council received a presentation from the Big Bear Workforce Housing Initiative, a new non-profit corporation.

The Big Bear Workforce Housing Initiative was formed by and is governed by several Big Bear businesses, and will offer financial incentives (up to $500 per month) to homeowners to make their home available to long-term tenants. The program will also connect homeowners with potential long-term tenants, and vice versa. The new non-profit is off to a great start, and has already identified several homes that will soon be offered to long-term tenants.

For more information about this beneficial new initiative, and to express interest in participating (both homeowners and long-term tenants), please visit the Big Bear Workforce Housing Initiative website at this link.

The City appreciates the Big Bear Workforce Housing Initiative's efforts, which are consistent with the City's workforce housing goals.

After reviewing hundreds of pages of technical reports, testimony from appellants and the applicant, testimony from traffic experts, and significant public input over 4 meetings, the City Council ultimately denied the appeal of the proposed Grocery Outlet store at its August 2 meeting. As such, the Grocery Outlet has received all applicable City land use approvals, and is expected to proceed with construction in the coming months.

The new 18,000 sq. ft. store is planned for a nearly 3-acre site located on the east side of Big Bear Boulevard between Starvation Flats Road and Sandalwood Drive, just northeast of the Lakeview Shopping Center.

With fire season now upon us, and in an effort to promote the creation of defensible space, the City continues to offer a free vegetative debris chipping and collection program for our residents and property owners.

The new program allows City residents and property owners to pile the vegetative debris adjacent to their property in an accessible space and request chipping service by visiting this website. Once a request is entered, the City will coordinate the chipping and removal of this debris within 2 - 3 weeks, all at no cost to the resident. This program is available to all residential property owners within the City limits, and is intended to mirror the service previously provided by the Fire Department.

Chipping and collection requests will be accepted through September 17, with all services completed by early October. For more information, please call the Public Works Division at (909) 866-7521.

City Council interviewed 9 candidates for 3 vacancies on the Planning Commission at a special meeting on August 9. Current Planning Commissioner Paul Senft was reappointed for a new 4-year term, with Michael LoGrande and Sara Schacht also appointed for new 4-year terms.

City Council also interviewed 5 candidates for 2 vacancies on the Department of Water & Power Board of Commissioners, and reappointed Craig Hjorth and James Smith to new 4-year terms.

The City is currently recruiting talented and dedicated individuals to fill several key positions in the City organization!

The City is currently recruiting for a new Public Information Officer to take the City's communications and public engagement efforts to the next level, with increased usage of digital, print, video, and audio platforms in the future.

The new Counter Technician will provide helpful customer service to our residents and contractors engaged in new construction activities in the City, as we seek to ensure consistency with development requirements in the most efficient and helpful manner.

The City has several opportunities in the Public Works Division for hard-working, dedicated individuals interested in helping the City improve the function and aesthetic quality of City parks and facilities. The City is making a greater investment in these important quality of life amenities for our residents and visitors.

To learn more, and to download a City employment application, please visit our City Employment website.

Between June 2020 and June 2021, approximately 50% of all vacation rentals in Big Bear Lake were vacant for 270 or more days. Approximately 25% of all vacation rentals were vacant for 180 or more days.

Thank you for checking out this issue of Elevation 6752', the official newsletter of the City of Big Bear Lake, CA! This newsletter is presented to keep you well-informed about the City's issues, projects, and initiatives, and will be complemented by other public communications strategies in the future. The City Council, Planning Commission, City staff, and numerous others are all working hard to provide the highest quality City services, in a helpful and professional manner, and promote new public and private investment in our community - in order to enhance the quality of life and visitor experience - and we want to make sure you are well-informed about our efforts on your behalf!

The easiest way to stay-informed about the City of Big Bear Lake is to sign up for this new email newsletter. It's easy to sign up - simply visit https://www.citybigbearlake.com/ and click on "Text & Email Notifications" in the top center of the homepage. Simply click on the link, enter your name and email address, and you're all set. Signing up will ensure you receive the new Elevation 6752' newsletter each month, and also any special communications from the City of Big Bear Lake for emergency situations, special events, and more!

In addition to the new Elevation 6752' newsletter, you can also get the latest information from the City of Big Bear Lake via the following digital platforms:

Please help us spread the word, and share this new City newsletter with your friends, family, other residents, property owners, frequent visitors, or anyone else who is interested in Big Bear Lake!