Big Bear News – Big Bear Lake, CA – The Big Bear Lake City Council on Monday night voted to forgo the city Halloween event in the Village as well as a proposed Veterans Day fireworks show this year. It was noted that with schools struggling to have in class schooling and with restaurants struggling to provide inside dining the risk of a Covid 19 outbreak is a real threat. The July 4th, 2020 fireworks show was postponed and now may be rescheduled to sometime during the 2021 Memorial Day weekend.
The council also considered, then rejected, a ban on citywide overnight parking. It was proposed as a method to control some temporary private home rental parking issues but the Council concluded that the unintended consequences of ticketing full and part time residents was not acceptable under the proposed plan. Frank Rush and the newly hired Tourist Manager for the city, Larry Vaupel, agreed to bring a more comprehensive plan back to the Council during their regular meeting scheduled for November.
Renewal of the Tourism Business Improvement District was discussed as well. The businesses, which are located in the city boundaries and that collect tourism fees, will later return to the city when 50 percent or more of their members agree to it’s extension. The Big Bear Lake Visitors Bureau’s mission is to use TBID dollars to help promote Big Bear and attract visitors during the slower shoulder seasons and to put on or draw new events to venues within the city. The council members mostly expressed support for this effort along with some concerns regarding balancing tourism and quality of life for residents and second homeowners.
