In a sometimes contentious debate Tuesday night, Danville city council members said they still support restaurant owners being allowed to do what they want with their businesses and not being fined by the city.
The debate came after a local resident started an online petition from a local Facebook group asking local leaders to follow regulations from the Illinois Department of Public Health that call on restaurants to suspend indoor dining and other businesses to reduce capacity due to public gathering risks of COVID-19. As of Tuesday night, the petition has gathered only about 150 signatures.
Numerous residents also submitted letters that were read during the public comment session of the meeting, which was held online due to the pandemic.
Two aldermen–Brenda Brown and Dan Duncheon–said they supported capacity restrictions on businesses, saying it would help reduce the spread of the virus. Brown contended that the issue is between saving lives versus money and freedom, also saying that reducing the virus’ spread would help people get their jobs back, and it would work if restaurants weren’t “packed like sardines.”
But Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. pointed out that many people who work in the restaurant industry are struggling to stay afloat.
“How do those people who will be unable to work, be able to feed themselves and their families, clothe themselves and keep a roof over their head?,” he asked. “Everyday I get calls from people who are struggling to pay their bills. Everyday I get calls from people who are about to be evicted from their homes.”
Brown said in response to the mayor that there are assistance firms and funds to get money from. Williams, however, said that the funds cover, at most, $1,250.
Duncheon said he supports a mask mandate and a ban on indoor dining in Danville. He said all restaurants in Danville should have to follow the same rules.
“Why are we punishing McDonald’s, Steak ‘N Shake and all the restaurants that are following the mitigation rules, but letting other ones not follow them?” he asked. “That’s what I don’t like–the uneven playing field.”
“I don’t want to close down the restaurants, but if the rules say to do that, then do that,” Duncheon added. “Take away their liquor licenses and suspend their business licenses.”
However, several other aldermen said they supported the most common health guidelines but would rather have businesses be able to choose what to do.
Alderman Mike Puhr said there is little the city can do about the issue, adding that he thinks people can live by example, use common sense and follow the rules such as wearing a mask and staying socially distant.
Alderman Sharon McMahon said that she feels safe when she has eaten inside restaurants during the pandemic, also mentioning that 74 percent of the case spread occurs among people in the same household.
“Everybody is just trying to make it,” she said.
Alderman Tom Stone said he would put most of the blame on other government officials.
“(The pandemic response was) a massive failure by our federal government,” he said. “They have not educated us. They bring up their line of medical experts. They tell us things that are generally accepted knowledge that not enough people follow.” He added that many people do not own a face mask and social distancing means nothing to them.
Alderman Steve Foster, who was attending his last city council meeting Tuesday night, said he was sad to see the disagreement among the council on the issue. He explained that sustained restaurant shutdowns can have long-term damage on the city.
“There’s so little we do about it,” Foster said.
