Georgetown council adopts amended downtown construction relief ordinance, declares emergency

The Village of Georgetown council voted to adopt an amended ordinance establishing the second phase of a downtown construction relief program and declared an emergency to expedite assistance for businesses affected by downtown construction. A council member moved to adopt the ordinance and a second was recorded before the title was read aloud.

Councilmembers explained the amendment adds two businesses that were left out of an earlier payment: Highland Manor Management and John Wood Insurance. Each of those businesses will receive a $600 supplement to their utility bills for the next two months. Under the program generally, eligible downtown businesses may receive up to $1,500 per month; eligibility requires documentation of losses calculated by an algorithm that counts 50% of the loss in April and 50% of the loss in May.

Tara conducted a roll call; Councilmembers Balkey, Jones, Keith and Ring voted yes and the motion passed. The council said the application packet and program details would be posted on the village website the following morning so affected businesses can apply electronically.

The ordinance text adopted declares an emergency as part of the motion; the council did not specify an exact effective date in the meeting record beyond that emergency declaration. The council also encouraged affected businesses to contact village staff for assistance with applications and documentation.

The council moved on after the vote; staff noted the fiscal report, mayor's court report and the May zoning report were included in the meeting packet and available for review.