ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager with a Request to APPROVE a RESOLUTION in SUPPORT OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
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BACKGROUND: In late 2019, a new and significant outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred. COVID-19 is a novel virus that can cause severe acute respiratory illness that can spread among people and present symptoms similar to influenza. Despite efforts to contain the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicate it will continue to spread. On March 13, 2020, the President issued a declaration of national emergency in response to COVID-19. On March 20, 2020, the Governor of Illinois issued Executive Order 2020-10 issuing a Stay-at-Home Order for the State for the preservation of public health and safety and to ensure that the State's healthcare delivery system is capable of serving those who are sick. Executive Order 2020-10 closed all non-essential businesses to the public, allowing them to operate with minimum business operations only. Many big box retailers who sold a mix of both essential and non-essential goods were deemed essential and allowed to remain open to the public. Many small local businesses, however, that only sold non-essential items, were not allowed to stay open to the public.
On May 1, 2020, Governor Pritzker issued Executive Order 2020-32, extending the stay at home order until May 30, 2020. It allows non-essential businesses to open for phone and online orders with curbside pick-up or delivery, but it does not allow the public to enter the stores.
The extension of the executive order and the State of Illinois' plan for re-opening give big box stores a competitive advantage over small local businesses. This Resolution encourages the Governor to re-evaluate his Executive Order and the Plan to re-open to allow small local businesses to open and operate under the same precautions and mitigation measures that big box stores are currently ope...
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