Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong reached out to citizens of Kankakee on Sunday night through the City’s Facebook page on the COVID-19 pandemic, issuing a plea to area landlords.
“I am asking landlords to be compassionate of our residents who are impacted by this pandemic. Many workers who are being impacted are low to moderate-income and work in the service industries: hospitality, bars, restaurants and so on.” Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong said.
The Mayor says impacted employees can file for unemployment compensation through the Illinois Department of Employment, so long as they have been laid off work due to no fault of their own, aka the pandemic. Those will be available to file online here, pending a waiver the Governor is currently seeking tied to the initial unemployment claim.
She is also seeking out additional small business information.
Under her executive authority, the Mayor has granted Fortitude Community Outreach Shelter the authority to set up a trailer at the Kankakee Depot to provide meals to the homeless population. The shelter will be closing this week until further notice to protect guests and abide by CDC recommendations.
She will continue to monitor events and establishments to ensure compliance with the Governors’ closure of all bars and dine-in restaurants throughout the State of Illinois, including Kankakee. Those include fast food, liquor establishments, bars, taverns, and video gaming cafes, as of the close of business March 16th through March 30th.
The Mayor has asked for a scheduled city council meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 7 pm to be postponed for a later date.
