Photo courtesy to Town of Normal Youtube
NORMAL, Ill.- A special town council meeting took place last night, Sept. 2, 2020, with an emphasis on how to approach COVID-19 moving forward. In an effort to stop the rapid spread of the pandemic, Mayor Chris Koos placed two emergency ordinances as a response last week. With a 6-1 vote, these ordinances have been extended.
Council Member Stan Nord was the only member of the council who voted not to extend the ordinances, which does not come as a surprise after Nord questioned the council’s qualification.
“We don’t have the expertise,” Nord said before voting. “Why are we being asked to make these decisions instead of the health department?”
The emergency orders will be active until Jan. 1, 2021, with the option to revisit the ordinances if the number of cases drop back down.
Both ordinances have implications for both Illinois State University, and bars and restaurants most specifically.
The first ordinance states that gatherings around or at ISU must be limited to 10 individuals or less. The second being bars and restaurants must not serve customers if they are not seated.
The measures may seem drastic, but Koos believes it will be instrumental in preserving the Normal community.
“I’m worried that if we do not do this, and our rate rises, all businesses in our community will suffer, not just bars and restaurants,” Koos said. “Businesses have reached out to me and said if there’s another shutdown they’ll never reopen.”
What if the campus community and Normal community doesn’t comply?
Fines for violation will go up to $750, and will be administered to anybody not following the requirements. Normal Police and ISU Police will be among those enforcing the ordinances.