COVID-19 Information

Executive Order 2020-32 STAY AT HOME ORDER EXTENSION, issued by Governor Pritzker's office on April 30, 2020, is an extension of the state’s disaster proclamation requiring individuals to stay at home or their place of residence. Individuals are required to wear a face covering in public places when they are unable to maintain a six-foot social distance, such as in stores.  This order prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a single household. This order permits leaving the home for essential activities while following social distancing guidelines.  It further permits fishing, boating, and golf, when following the guidelines. The order defines essential businesses and operations. Retail stores may fulfill online and telephonic orders through pick-up outside the store or delivery. This supersedes Executive Order 2020-18.

On May 24, 2020, in preparation of the upcoming move into Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois five-phased plan, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has published common guidelines for all Phase 3 Businesses and Operations. Phase 3 guidelines span 10 different industry categories. Each set of guidelines includes a common set of guidelines that are expected and encouraged among all employers and activity types, as well as workplace and program-specific guidelines. These guidelines may be viewed at https://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/pages/restoreILP3.aspx Additionally, the State of Illinois is providing new guidelines for indoor/outdoor tennis, as well as revised guidelines for boating and fishing and for golf.
If you have read the industry safety guidelines above and have other specific questions or comments about how Phase 3 affects your business or employees, DCEO offers direct support via their Business Hotline Monday through Friday at 1-800-252-2923, or email at: ceo.support@illinois.gov.  Additional information regarding the Restore Illinois plan may be found here.

Do you have questions regarding essential and non-essential businesses?
Please visit DCEO’s website www2.illinois.gov/dceo/Pages/EssentialBusiness.aspx or contact DCEO at 1-800-252-2923 or via email CEO.support@illinois.gov.

A message from Mayor Sass, May 12, 2020
We are eager to move forward and safely re-open our local economy.  To that end, we have worked collectively with the other municipalities in McHenry County and McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks to ask the Governor to re-consider the inclusion of McHenry County within the Northeast Health Region, which includes Cook County, and to move us into another region.  This would allow progressing through the Governor’s recovery phases on a quicker pace.  This effort has involved putting together a plan for safely re-opening businesses in Huntley and throughout the county.  We thank you for supporting our local businesses and encourage everyone to continue to do so.  
Please review the following for additional details:
Press Release
Letter from Leaders of McHenry County

A number of new programs, including loans and grants, have been put in place in response to COVID-19. The following information is meant to be a helpful starting point as you evaluate options for your business.  Due to the evolving nature of these programs, it is recommended that you visit the source for the must current information. This list will be updated often with a goal of providing a comprehensive list of options, but may not be inclusive of all available options. 

SBA LOAN PROGRAMS
Learn about the various programs offered by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) Coronavirus (COVID-19) in this helpful guide Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources. 

Training/Information webinars have been presented by the SBA. Listen to Webinar recordings:
          Overview of all programs: https://bit.ly/loanwebinar1
          Directed at sole-proprietors, self-employed & independent contractors: https://bit.ly/loanwebinar2 

• Paycheck Protection Program:  The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll by providing each small business a loan up to $10 million for payroll and certain other expenses. If all employees are kept on payroll for eight weeks, SBA will forgive the portion of the loans used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. Up to 100 percent of the loan is forgivable.  Find a Lender - Applications and Funding for this program will be done by lending institutions through the existing U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) lending program and additional lenders approved by the Department of Treasury. This could be the bank you already use, or a nearby bank. You do not have to visit any government institution to apply for the program. You may call your bank or find SBA-approved lenders in your area through SBA’s online Lender Match tool. You can call your local Small Business Development Center or other local assistance providers that provide free assistance and guide you to lenders.   

• SBA Express Bridge Loan: Express Bridge Loan Pilot Program allows small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 with less paperwork. If a small business has an urgent need for cash while waiting for decision and disbursement on Economic Injury Disaster Loan, they may qualify for an SBA Express Disaster Bridge Loan. Application and processing of this loan is through a SBA Preferred Lender - Find an Express Bridge Loan Lender by connecting with your local SBA District Office. 

• SBA Debt Relief: For six months, the SBA will automatically pay the principal, interest and fees on current qualified loans and new qualified loans issued before Sept. 27, 2020. The SBA is also providing automatic deferments through Dec. 31, 2020 on any currently serviced disaster loans.  

• SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL): Provides low-interest loans of up to $2 million to small businesses and private non-profits affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
  At this time, only agricultural business applications will be accepted due to limitations in funding availability and the unprecedented submission of applications already received. Applicants who have already submitted their applications will continue to be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change.  SBA will process these applications without the need for re-applying. The SBA is the lender for this program. Application: https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/   

• Kane County COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Program  

  The Kane County Office of Community Reinvestment is now accepting grant applications from essential small businesses facing financial impacts from the COVID-19 emergency. The program, which is funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, aims to provide assistance to essential small businesses in order to avoid layoffs due to Illinois Executive Order 2020-10 (COVID-19 Stay-at Home Order). Funds from this reimbursement-based program will be used to help eligible businesses mitigate layoffs and adhere to “social distancing” provisions established by state and federal public health authorities. It is not intended to duplicate other types of assistance available from federal, state, or local government. Individual awards under the program may range from $5,000 to $50,000 per employer/physical location. 

• Business Invest - Illinois Small Business COVID-19 Relief Program is an impact investment loan program under which the IL State Treasurer would make up to $250 million in deposits available to financial institutions throughout the state, at near-zero rates, to assist Illinois small business and non-profits negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Through this program, the IL State Treasurer's Office would partner with approved financial institutions to provide loans -- either lower rate loans, or loans to a business or non-profit that would not otherwise qualify -- to Illinois small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.   List of Participating Banks/Financial Institutions (this will be updated as additional institutions are approved, check back regularly or reach out to your bank to see if they are participating.) 

• 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.  

  Applications for the Illinois Small Business Emergency Loan Fund are no longer being accepted at this time. Enter your email address here if you would like to be notified as soon as Accion resumes accepting new applications.

• Facebook Small Business Grants Program - Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses. Sign up here for updates 

• Go Fund Me - Small Business Relief Initiative - Small businesses that have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus crisis can sign up on GoFundMe to start a fundraiser to benefit their small business. If a small business raises $500 on their GoFundMe and meets eligibility criteria listed below, they may be considered to receive a $500 matching grant from the Small Business Relief Fund. 

• The Red Backpack Fund - The Red Backpack Fund is an initiative started by The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation. The foundation donated $5 million to GlobalGiving to establish The Red Backpack Fund. GlobalGiving will be making at least 1,000 grants of $5,000 each to female entrepreneurs in the U.S. to help alleviate the immediate needs and support the long-term recovery of those impacted by this crisis

• Business for All Grant or COVID-19 Emergency Grant -  Business for All is a national movement to lift up 100,000 small business owners to receive funding and mentorship. By completing the application below, you’re eligible to receive up to $50,000 in grant funding. We recognize this is a particularly difficult time. If your business has been severely impacted by COVID-19, please complete the full application as well as the COVID-19 Emergency Grants section below to apply for immediate support in the form of $10,000 grants. Thanks to our partners for stepping up to support business owners through the COVID-19 pandemic.In partnership with Verizon, as part of the Business for All movement, every applicant will receive access to opportunities, guides and networks to help their business grow.

• Professional Beauty Association (PBA) COVID-19 RELIEF FUND - The PBA COVID-19 Relief Fund will provide $500 to licensed beauty professionals who are unable to work due to COVID-19. 
  

• McHenry County Small Business Stabilization Grant Program - The pre-application window is now closed, as of May 08, 2020 at 4:30 PM (CDT).  Only small businesses that submitted complete pre-applications before the deadline were invited to a full application via a link to an online application portal. The full application that will open the morning of Monday, May 11, 2020 and close on Friday, May 15, 2020 at 4:00pm (CDT). If a small business successfully pre-applied and did not receive a full application weblink, or requires assistance through the full application process, please reach out to Andrew Stuckey at ACStuckey@mchenrycountyil.gov.

• Hospitality Emergency Grant Program - The application window has closed. Grant winners will be contacted directly by Accion. Bars and restaurants with a valid license to serve food or liquor and who generated revenues of less than $1 million in 2019 are eligible for grants between $10,000-$50,000 based on stated revenue thresholds.  

Additional Resources for business:

• Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity - Resources for Small Businesses Impacted by COVID-19
• Illinois Department of Employment Security - COVID-19 and Unemployment Benefits
• IRS Taxpayer information
• Illinois Taxpayer Information

• Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19
• Center for Disease Control, Interim Guide for Business and Employers 

• Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce
• Illinois Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Business Resource Center
• SCORE Mentors
• Illinois Small Business Development Center

• Are you open or closed?
• Have your hours changed? Or, are you available by appointment only?
• How have your delivery and/or pick-up procedures been modified?
• How have your cleaning, check-out, store setup and/or other procedures changed due to COVID-19? 
• Do you have any specials/promotions?
• Do you stock a hard to find item? 

• Village of Huntley
• State of Illinois, Illinois Department of Health Coronavirus
• McHenry County COVID-19 Community Resource Page
• Kane County
• The United Way's 2-1-1 Community Help Line

SUPPORT LOCAL, SHOP LOCAL:

VISIT OUR RESTAURANT AND BREWERIES PAGE FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION AVAILABLE REGARDING FOOD AND BEVERAGE BUSINESSES OPEN FOR DELIVERY AND CARRY-OUT.  

Huntley Businesses Step Up…
a shout out to Huntley businesses helping the cause
Do you know of a Huntley business who has stepped up to help the cause during this pandemic?
Tell us about it. Please email mstocker@huntley.il.us We’d love to hear about it!