Council accepts 'Torrance Passport' plan to boost restaurants and cultural events
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Summary
Council accepted and filed a conceptual report for a monthlong 'Torrance Passport' (March 26–April 26) to promote local restaurants and cultural venues; the program will be low‑barrier, self‑attested, and include a social‑media hashtag and prize drawing.
The council unanimously accepted and filed a staff report outlining the 'Torrance Passport,' a monthlong self‑guided culinary and cultural program designed to increase visits to local restaurants and cultural venues.
Public Engagement Manager Jin Chun said staff developed the passport as a lower‑barrier alternative to a single‑night cultural event; participants will be encouraged to complete at least 10 visits to local businesses or events between March 26 and April 26 for entries into drawings. Staff described options for printable passports, pick‑up locations at city facilities, and use of the hashtag "TorrancePassport" to aggregate public posts.
Councilmembers and attendees discussed digital options and timelines. Councilmember Sheikh suggested integrating the passport into the city's MyTorranceCA app in a future iteration, but staff said the app could not be ready before the campaign; councilmembers proposed QR codes or other low‑barrier digital tools. Public commenter David Kartzonis, who identified himself as immediate past president of the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation, praised the concept and suggested collaboration with cultural commissions and foundations.
The council voted to accept and file the conceptual report, directed staff to explore digital options (including QR codes and potential app integration in future updates), and to proceed with the proposed timeframe as a pilot.