Village Asks Pritzker To Modify Restore Illinois Plan

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — While acknowledging Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order "has had a positive effect" on reducing the number of cases of individuals contracting COVID-19 and deaths in Illinois, the Village Board passed a resolution Monday night calling on the governor to modify certain parts of his Restore Illinois plan. The resolution, which received a 7-2 positive vote, focuses on efforts to assist the business community due to the "devastating financial impact" the stay-at-home order has had on Arlington Heights.

"[We passed the resolution] solely for the purpose of encouraging reasonable modifications to the Governor’s Restore Illinois Plan for the benefit of our residents and businesses, and particularly our restaurants, by requesting that they be allowed to reopen in Phase 3 instead of Phase 4," Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes told Patch.

In Phase 4 of Pritzker's plan, among other things, restaurants can open with limited capacity and following strict public health procedures, including personal protective equipment for employees. Gatherings with 50 people or fewer will be permitted. In addition, for businesses, Phase 4 includes reopening:

• Manufacturing: All manufacturing open with IDPH approved safety guidance
• “Non-essential” businesses: All employees return to work with IDPH approved safety guidance; Employers are encouraged to provide accommodations for COVID-19-vulnerable employees
• Bars and restaurants: Open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance
• Personal care services and health clubs: All barbershops, salons, spas and health and fitness clubs open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance
• Entertainment: Cinema and theaters open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance
• Retail: Open with capacity limits and IDPH approved safety guidance

Voting "no" on the resolution were Trustees Mary Beth Canty and Rich Baldino.

Citing that Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan breaks the state into four geographic regions for reopening, the resolution passed Monday states that in some regions "there are more dissimilarities between communities than there are similarities as it relates to COVID-19." The resolution is broken up into four sections:

SECTION ONE: The Village of Arlington Heights commends the Governor for developing a written plan known as Restore Illinois to provide a path forward so that the public has something to respond to.

SECTION TWO: The Village of Arlington Heights immediately requests the Governor to modify the Restore Illinois Plan to base the State on the 11 Emergency Medical Services Regions that have traditionally guided its statewide public health work rather than four newly created Regions.

SECTION THREE: The Village of Arlington Heights urges the Governor to work with the Legislature and Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to develop workable precautions, operational restrictions, and reasonable guidelines and controls for the opening of restaurants, bars and other businesses in Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois Plan.

SECTION FOUR: This Resolution shall be in full force and effect upon passage and approval.

"The vote means that the majority of our Village Board is committed to doing all we can to help our community reopen as soon as possible by finding the right balance between health/safety and economic viability," Hayes said.

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