Algonquin Discusses Dining On Patios, In Parks, On Streets

ALGONQUIN, IL — Officials in Algonquin discussed allowing businesses to serve food and alcohol at various outdoor locations, including in parking lots, on patios and in parks, once it is allowed under the governor's executive order. The village's Committee of the Whole heard from village staff on the proposal during a Tuesday Zoom meeting.

The idea of outdoor dining is being discussed by other leaders and mayors in McHenry County, village president John Schmitt said during Tuesday's meeting. And the discussion item on Tuesday's agenda came up after village leaders began thinking about how Algonquin could accommodate it as well — not "just in the downtown" but throughout the village, Schmitt said.

The hope for the discussion, village officials said, would be to allow Algonquin to prepare guidelines for the outdoor dining so when Algonquin is allowed to reopen under the state's executive order it could promptly move forward.

This past week, Schmitt told Politico that Algonquin is facing a 26 percent drop in sales tax revenue. The cost of businesses remaining closed and any subsequent delay in state revenue distribution will put the village further in the red and could, in the future, mean cuts to basic services, including fire, public works and police, Schmitt said.

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Under the proposal, Algonquin officials are looking into whether they could provide outdoor dining options on patios as well as in parks and parking lots once Algonquin and the county move to the next phases of Pritzker's reopening plan.

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Another option could be closing down the right of way of streets for dining purposes outside some area businesses, said Kelly Cahill, municipal attorney for the village of Algonquin, during Tuesday's meeting. Providing a special liquor license for businesses under the proposal is also a possibility.

Meanwhile, Schmitt and village leaders across McHenry County officially signed off on a proposal sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's office on Tuesday requesting that McHenry County be moved into a different "health region," or simply stand on its own, as part of Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan. Currently, McHenry County is included in the northeast region of the plan, which is made up all of Chicago's collar counties.

The northeast region also includes Cook County and city of Chicago where the highest number of COVID-19 cases have been reported.

McHenry County has had far fewer coronavirus cases than other counties and has plenty of room in its hospitals, according to the eight-page letter sent by McHerny County Board Chair Jack Franks to Pritzker on Tuesday. For that reason, he argued, the county should be moved from Phase 2 of Pritzker's plan to Phase 3 since the county has "successfully met all criteria in the Restore Illinois Plan."

That criteria include keeping COVID-19 cases under 20 percent for a 14-day period, no overall increase in hospital admissions, the capacity to handle a surge at a hospital, testing capability and contract tracing capability.

"I've said that we're all in this together, but at the same time, it doesn't make sense for McHenry
County to be held back if we've met all the requirements until the other counties in our region catch up to us," Franks, D-Marengo, said. "Our families and businesses are suffering, and every passing day prolongs that suffering — more jobs forever lost, more businesses shuttered, and more people losing hope. We've laid out a very compelling case, and a very responsible way to move forward while protecting the people, and I'm confident it will be well-received."

Under the plan, county leaders outlined guidelines that should be followed and businesses that should be opened under Phase 3 in McHenry County. Some of those general guidelines include gatherings of 10 people or fewer, the opening of all health care providers under the Illinois Department of Public Health's approval and safety guidance, the continuance of remote learning and general outdoor recreation resuming in groups of 10 or fewer.

Under the plan, all non-essential manufacturing, retail and service businesses can open to the public with the following restrictions: reduce public access by 50 percent, require face coverings for all employees and customers, provide use of hand sanitizer stations at all entrances and disinfect common areas of the store (doors, handles, counters, etc.) hourly.

In Algonquin, village officials are looking into what phase of the Restore Illinois plan would allow for outdoor dining. Village officials Tuesday noted that language for the Algonquin proposal must be sure to follow the governor's guidance and not promote gatherings that go against his executive order.

The Committee of the Whole is next expected to meet via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.