Centralia City Manager Lowell Crow says the city is set to provide $130,000 in direct payments to small businesses in the city that have experience significant business interruptions attributable to COVID-19 between March and December of last year.
Crow is recommending the city council approve the payments through the Local Cure Economic Support Payments Grant Program that will be reimbursed through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. He reports all have met the program and application requirements and have clearly demonstrated a financial need. They are Darlington Family Restaurant, Inc and Bills Tax Service of Centralia in the amount of $25,000 each and Tony’s Welding, Fleming Cleaners, Hunan House, Dreamality Athletics, LLC, Fire Wok, the Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce, City Hope Church and Leticia Enterprises, Inc. all for $10,000.
The council will also be asked to approve a resolution requiring and encouraging the wearing of masks and encouraging city employees to obtain the vaccination against COVID-19 through policies that will be continually evaluated and updated as part of the personnel policies.
The council will also consider entering into a contract with a Springfield consultant Jeff Torricelli to assist the city in handling multiple COVID-related programs as well as the city’s Opportunity Zone Grant with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Torricelli had earlier worked with the city, but the contract was canceled as part of budget cuts due to COVID-19.
The council will also consider the purchase of a new police vehicle through Monken for $29,040.
The meeting begins at six Monday night and will be held remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions.
