PORTSMOUTH – The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to give struggling restaurants "a small ounce of predictability" by guaranteeing the return of outdoor dining on March 1, 2021 weather-permitting. Councilors also voted to turn the Citizen Response Task Force into a formal city Blue Ribbon Committee – a conversation that began with much pushback by some councilors but ultimately ended in compromise. Per the final vote, the task force membership will remain the same, but a city councilor will join as a non-voting member, ultimately reporting back to the City Council on the committee's work. The Health Subcommittee of the Citizen Response Task Force was also made a Blue Ribbon Committee to work hand-in-hand with the city Health Department.