Chamber of Commerce, Monticello Illinois

COVID 19 Information

 

INFORMATION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS

 
Here is Guidance from Dewitt Piatt Bi-County Health Department for everyone in relation to the recent Stay at Home Order.

INFORMATION FOR WORKERS

INFORMATION FOR BUSINESSES IN MONTICELLO

We encourage all businesses to take time to update their website, social media, google and other search medium information.  Additionally, take time to go the chamber website and update your information there.  Your username is your email address, if you’ve forgotten your password, choose forgot password to reset it.  Scroll to the bottom of the page for links to important information sources.
 
Illinois and Federal tax day has been moved to July 15th.  Please contact your tax preparer about if you should go ahead and submit your taxes or wait.  The sales tax due date are not exactly the same so be sure you know your requirements!
 
Please take time to understand what is considered essential business and what is not.  Non-essential business's are ordered to cease all operations except: a. The minimum necessary activities to maintain the value of the business's inventory, preserve the condition of the business's physicial plant and equipment, ensure security, process payroll and employee benefits, or for related functions.  b. The minimum necessary activities to facilitate employees of the busines being able to continue to work remotely from their residences.  Governor's Exective Order (Stay at Home)  If you still have a question if what you are doing is "essential" or allowable, you should contact the Illinois Department of Commerce.  Be sure to keep the contact person's name in case the Health Department has questions for them later.
 
Small Business Loans are available through the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program.  For assistance completing applications contact the Champaign SBDC office.  They are our district's contact point.  They also host webinars regularly.
 
Please take time to complete the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity(DCEO)'s Business Impact Survey.  It is important they had an understanding of the impact on our community.
 
Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund
DCEO and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) are establishing the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund to offer small businesses low interest loans of up to $50,000.
 
Businesses located outside of the City of Chicago with fewer than 50 workers and less than $3 million in revenue in 2019 will be eligible to apply.  Successful applicants will owe nothing for six months and will then begin making fixed payments at a below market interest rate for the remainder of a five-year loan term. Starting this Friday, March 27th, interested businesses will be able to express interest at a form that will be posted on DCEO's website.
 
Who is eligible?
Small businesses located outside of the City of Chicago with fewer than 50 workers and less than $3 million in revenue in 2019 can apply.
 
 

DOWNSTATE SMALL BUSINESS STABILIZATION PROGRAM (Must go through the City)

Please, read thoroughly through the application and guidebook to understand the grant and paperwork needed for this program. If there is any missing paperwork and information, the application will not be accepted.

Fill out the Uniform Grant Application and insert at page 15, fill out the following pages through page 24. Fill out pages 32-35, 37-40 and page 47-49.

Please reach out if you are interested in this grant via email: cjm@cityofmonticello.net

Grant Info page with Guidebook Link:
https://www2.illinois.gov/…/DownstateSmBizStabilizaition.as…

 

Facebook and Google are both offering assistance in various ways:
 
Ameren Illinois: In response to the economic hardships that residential and business customers may experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ameren is suspending all disconnections for non-payment and forgiving any late payment fees for residential and business customers. Normal billing for customers’ usage will continue as usual but if you are having difficulty paying your bill, please contact their Customer Care team.

 

WEBINAR + VIDEO CONFERENCING + REMOTE WORK SOFTWARE

 
Zoom
 
New to working at home? Here are some tips on how to be successful via Zoom. Other articles:
 

Restaurants and Bars:    

Can I still operate?
If you are a bar (this includes gaming parlors) or restaurant there is a temporary suspension of dine-in service between the dates of  March 17th and March 30th with the possibility for an extension dependent upon the nature of the virus at the time of expiration.  It is permissible for food service establishments to distribute food in the following manner: 1) delivery service 2) curbside service 3) drive-through service 4) Take-out service (if proper precautions are taken).  If the facility only provided dine-in or in-house drink service, it will be required to cease full operation until the mandate expiration.  Depending upon feasibility, the health department is willing to offer guidance to  those seeking to provide new service options.
 
Are Gaming Parlors subject to the mandate?
Yes, the Illinois State Gaming Board also has issued the suspension of all video gaming machine operations.
 
Can I deliver package liquor curbside?
Only if you have a Class A license and only through the course of the mandate.  The liquor package must be unopened.  
 
Where can people picking up food park? 
Each restaurant/bar may create their own signage for 3 spots to be designated food pickup spots for their business.  The spots should be generally in front of their business, using existing parking spaces, and should not take away handicap parking.  These spaced are 15min only parking (which will be monitored).  The Monticello Police Department will reserve the right to make adjustments as needed.
 
Can I start delivery service?
Before starting delivery check with your insurance agent due to additional insurance requirements that may apply.
 
Since carry-out is now allowed, are patrons allowed to sit at a table and wait for their order?
Patrons should call ahead to submit their order. Space out pick-up times to minimize the amount of people in your facility at one time and make times as precise as possible in order to maintain flow in and out of the premises. The goal of this executive order is a social distancing measure to limit congregations of people in public places.
 
Here is Guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health for restaurants in relation to the orders.
 
Hospitality Emergency Grant Program
To help hospitality businesses make ends meet in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, DCEO is launching the Hospitality Emergency Grant Program with $14 million drawn from funds originally budgeted for job training, tourism promotion, and other purposes.  Grant funds are available to support working capital like payroll and rent, as well as job training, retraining, and technology to support shifts in operations, like increased pick-up and delivery. Bars and restaurants that generated between $500K and $1M in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $25,000, and bars and restaurants that generated less than $500K in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $10,000.  Hotels that generated less than $8M in revenue in 2019 are eligible for up to $50,000.
 
Who is eligible?
Bars and restaurants with a valid license to serve food or liquor and who generated revenues of less than $1 million in 2019. Hotels with a valid license (hotels, motels other lodging establishments) and who generated revenues of less than $8 million in 2019.
 
 
 
Government Resources for general information: (ordered local to national)
U.S. Small Business Administration - Toolkit for Disaster Loan Assistance, Guidance, Producst and Resources
US Department of Labor - Information on the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family Medical Leave Act in relation to the Pandemic
 
Other helpful sites:
Society for Human Resource Managment (SHRM) - best practices and templates