Despite improved COVID-19 conditions and a recent move into the red tier, the city of San Luis Obispo and local businesses continue to grapple with the fallout of the city s enforcement of state pandemic rules where $26,000 in citations have been levied against six companies. File Photo Courtesy Of The City Of SLO
FINED Kennedy Club Fitness (pictured) recently lost its appeal of city fines levied for allowing indoor exercise during purple tier restrictions. The most heavily cited of the six, Kennedy Club Fitness, lost its appeal on March 4 of two citations totaling $7,000 (it faces $12,000 in fines). The gym has been cited six times between September 2020 and February 2021 for allowing indoor exercise while the county was in the state s purple tier, when that activity was prohibited.
While the city of San Luis Obispo clashes with a local gym chain over its adherence to state COVID-19 regulations, on Jan. 19, the SLO City Council passed an emergency ordinance that reinforces the city s authority to issue citations to COVID-19 rule violators. The ordinance passed unanimously as the city s Administrative Review Board is hearing multiple appeals from Kennedy Club Fitness that are challenging three $1,000 citations issued to the gym that came amid its public decision to allow indoor exercise in defiance of state health orders. click to enlarge Photo Courtesy Of The City Of San Luis Obispo
WORKING OUT SLO has cited Kennedy Club Fitness (pictured) three times for allegedly violating COVID-19 health orders by allowing indoor exercise.
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Businesses defying state-mandated COVID-19 closures are speaking out, after SLO County s district attorney issued a statement Tuesday saying he will not press criminal charges against those who choose to keep their doors open.
Although gyms are now ordered to close their indoor and outdoor operations, SLO County s Kennedy Club Fitness is opting to keep its facilities open for use.
As Kennedy managing partner, Brett Weaver said he applauds District Attorney Dan Dow s decision to not seek criminal charges against the business for doing so.
“Whatever support that we can get from the community, whether it is city or county or any DA’s office, it s very helpful for us and other businesses,” Weaver said.
The city of San Luis Obispo says since March $9,000 in fines have been handed out in administrative fines for those not abiding by COVID-19 guidelines. A third of those being issued within the last month.