UPDATED MARCH 22, 2021: FREQUENT QUESTIONS

The City of Monterey today announced the reopening of the Monterey Sports Center, Monday, March 22, 2021. Per State Health Guidelines for counties in the Red Tier based on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, gym and fitness centers are allowed to reopen indoors at ten percent capacity. Amenities to open include group exercise classes (Mar. 29), use of all fitness areas, weight training equipment, and cardio equipment. Opening hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A new Group Exercise schedule starts March 29. Indoor swimming pools are allowed to reopen for “drowning prevention classes”. The pools are scheduled to reopen April 5. NEWS RELEASE IN PDF

March 13, 2021 marks one year since the City Manager declared a local emergency due to the coronavirus. In heartfelt memory of the community lives lost to Covid-19, and in admiration, appreciation, and care to healthcare workers, public safety workers, teachers, all frontline workers including those in grocery, farm, non-profit, businesses, partner agencies, as well as anyone struggling financially or otherwise due to the pandemic, the City of Monterey City Council and Staff wish to say, “We care and we hope you feel supported. Thank you for helping us get through this crisis. We continue to make good progress, as we start to see signs that the end of the pandemic is in sight. Monterey remains strong, thanks to so many local community heroes.”  NEWS RELEASE | FLYER IN ENGLISH | FLYER IN SPANISH 

Today the City of Monterey announced that the Monterey Conference Center has earned an accreditation as a Global Biorisk Advisory Council GBAC STAR™ facility. GBAC STAR™ is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation for facilities. NEWS RELEASE IN PDF

The City of Monterey will host two virtual town halls to solicit feedback about cannabis operations within the City of Monterey, Tuesday, January 26 at 10:30 a.m. and Thursday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Residents can register at haveyoursaymonterey.org/cannabis. Parallel, the City is also launching a new web-based engagement platform called, Have Your Say Monterey, at haveyoursaymonterey.org which features a community survey about cannabis operations.  A mail in version of the survey will be also sent at the end of January via USPS to all households in Monterey to allow residents to submit their opinion and views via traditional mail. NEWS RELEASE IN PDF // FLYERS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

New Monterey City Code Ordinance 22-18.1 takes effect January 1, 2021 that prohibits gas-powered leaf blowers on residential lots. Electric and battery-powered leaf blowers are still permitted between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Monterey City Council approved the recommendation by the Community Development Department staff after much community discussion around noise disruption and air pollution emitted from gas blowers in neighborhoods. NEWS RELEASE IN PDF (IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH)

The City of Monterey today announced a Thanksgiving special promotion, #GiveThanksNotCovid. From now through Thanksgiving Day, enter to win a Monterey 250 commemorative poster celebrating Monterey's 250th birthday that took place on June 3, 2020. Participants can win their choice of a DownTown or Cannery Row 18x24 illustrated print designed by local Santa Cruz poster artist Kirby Scudder. Three winners will be drawn each day. NEWS RELEASE IN PDF

The City of Monterey and Monterey Police Department are warning residents to be aware of scam phone calls reportedly coming from City of Monterey staff to residents asking for social security numbers and other personal identification information. The City became aware of this scam this morning when a resident notified an employee in the Public Works Department that they had received a call that appeared to be from a City phone number, shown on caller ID. This type of phone scam is called phone spoofing. The resident explained he received a call requesting that he provide his social security number to them immediately or his social security number would be cancelled/stopped within the next four hours. NEWS RELEASE IN PDF

The National Weather service has issued a red flag warning - a warning that another weather system is in the forecast that includes potential lightning storms. The warning for erratic winds, dry lightning, and possible thunderstorms is effective now through 5:00 PM, Monday, August 24 (see graphic below). NEWS RELEASE IN PDF