Wood Dale extending COVID-19 relief for businesses

Wood Dale is extending its COVID-19 relief measures for businesses in the city.

Last year, city officials took steps to help residents and businesses during the pandemic, including waiving liquor license renewal fees, water penalties, and Dial-A-Ride fares. The measures are set to expire at the end of the summer.

"We're doing the best we can to help as much as possible," Mayor Nunzio Pulice. "They all have such limited capacity. We wanna make sure businesses stay open because closures could put a bigger burden on the residents."

Six businesses have closed in the city and more than 40 have opened since March 2020.

Last year, Wood Dale waived liquor license fees for all businesses except gas stations and large commercial supermarkets. The city also allowed current liquor license holders to serve alcohol outside.

The city also reimbursed businesses up to $2,500 for expenses related to providing outdoor service. As part of the cost-share program, Wood Dale paid a total of more than $17,800 to a dozen restaurants.

Wood Dale's Dial-A-Ride transportation service has not been charging riders a fee since last March. With the vaccine rollout, officials are continuing to waive the fee until further notice because some people may be using the service to get their vaccine.

The "Wood Dale Dollars" COVID-19 relief voucher program aims to drive customer traffic to local businesses and provide utility relief to residents. The city distributed roughly $200,000 worth of coupons as part of the program, which was funded with federal CARES Act money.