PEORIA, Ill. — Phase three for the Restore Illinois plan begins Friday, and Peoria City Council set guidelines for bars and restaurants to operate outdoors.
There will be some changes to the outdoor dining experience, such as tables separated by six feet and no more than six people at one table.
City Manager Patrick Urich said this is a temporary extension of dining services.
“If you’re extending your restaurant and the rules you follow indoors outdoors, then that means you’re following the Smoke-Free Illinois Act,” Urich said.
Establishments with beer gardens can allow the use of tobacco.
Hours of operation were a concern for the council.
Mayor Jim Ardis suggested bars and restaurants in residential neighborhoods close at 10:00 p.m. on week nights and 11:00 p.m. weekends.
Commercial bars and restaurants will close at 11:00 p.m. on week nights and midnight on weekends.
Riverfront/downtown bars and restaurants will close at midnight on week nights and 1:00 a.m. weekends.
These new hours will be for phase three of the reopening plan.
Another concern for the council was live music at the venues. The Peoria City/County Health Department advised against live entertainment.
The council did approve that venues that are licensed to have live music can do so.
“People that are already licensed, they’re going to have to work within that licensing frame,” Ardis said.
Urich also presented the council with a plan for the budget that involved $10 million in operating cuts, cutting capitol projects, restructuring $10 million in debt, and borrowing $20 million.
The council voted to have Urich look into what staffing would look like with Voluntary Separation Incentives and Early Retirement Incentives.
The operating cuts would include reducing city staff, public works, cutting fire department staff, and police staff.
“What amounts to is about is just under 20% of every position at city hall, you’d be looking at 17% of the positions in the community development and the fire department, 15% of the workforce in public works, and 12% of the workforce in police,” Urich said.
For the Peoria Fire Department engine 4, engine 20, and truck one would be cut, adding up to 33 positions.
Urich said it is important to make it clear that there will be less services than today.
Examples Urich included are residential streets will not be plowed until four inches on snow are on the ground and the city will only perform emergency demolitions.
Both police and fire unions are interested in Voluntary Separation Agreements.
Council member John Kelly and Ali do not support tax increases.
Council member Sid Ruckriegel encouraged Urick to look for other ways to make cuts without making 11 cuts to the police department.
“There is one thing that we hear time, and time again from all our citizens, it’s about wanting safe neighborhoods,” Ruckriegel said. “And, we also have a priority for our city, for our police department to have a reflection of the community it serves.”
Cuts to the police department would include cadets, explorers, accreditation, traffic, detectives, and special investigations.
Urich will bring report backs at the next Peoria City Council Meeting on the second Tuesday in June.
The council approved the declaration of the local state of emergency for another week.
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